#43 Visit the tree that was planted for your Bat/Bat Mitzvah at any time

Do you want to visit the tree that was planted in your honor for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah? It is not likely that you will find it. But you will find millions of other trees that were planted by the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes:

Israel is one of the only nations in the world that entered the 21st century with more trees than it had 100 years ago. Since its inception, Israel has been devoted to sustainable forest management and afforestation, planting trees mostly in areas with arid and semi-arid climates.

Keren Kayemet, the Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to purchase land for Jewish agricultural communities, as well as to carry out development, reclamation and afforestation projects in the Land of Israel. By the time Israel became independent in 1948, the JNF had planted about 4.5 million trees on the country’s rocky hillsides.

Today over 200 million trees in forests and woodlands covering some 300,000 acres provide Israelis with a wide range of opportunities for outdoor recreation and appreciation of nature.

In addition to the forests that might exist in national parkes, below is a list of forests across the country.

Jerusalem District

• Aminadav Forest – Judean hills near Aminadav
• Canada Forest – Jerusalem corridor
• Eshtaol Forest – near Beit Shemesh
• Gilo Forest – (Gilo neighborhood)
• Jerusalem Forest – (between Givat Shaul neighborhood and Ein Karem)
• Martyrs Forest – (above Moshav Ksalon (Shimshon-Sha’ar HaGai Junction)
• Peace Forest – (below East Talpiot promenade)
• Ramot Forest – (between Ramot neighborhood and Shu’afat)

Central District

• Ben Shemen Forest – (east of Ben Shemen youth village)
• Hulda Forest – (Nahshon Junction – Rehovot road) Planned in 1907 by the Jewish National Fund, which brought in a German agronomist, Louis Barish, to manage the project. Restored in 1998.
• Meginim Forest – Gezer region
• Tzora Forest – (between Shimshon and Nahshon Junctions) near Tzora
• Rosh HaAyin Forest

Northern District

• Carmel Coast Forest – (Fureidis-Haifa Road)
• Hadera Forest – (near railway station)
• Irron Forest – (Hadera-Megiddo Road)
• Mt. Hurshan – (near Amikam)
• Mt. Shehumit (Har Nahash) – (Kiryat Shmona)
• Atatürk Forest – Mount Carmel

Galilee

• Ahihud Forest – (Acre-Safed Road near Mt. Gamal)
• Biriya Forest – (Safed-Biriya Road)
• Lower Hanita Forest – (Shlomi-Hanita Road)
• Parod Forest – (Acre-Safed Road, near Kibbutz Parod)

Upper Galilee

• Baram Forest – (Shlomi-Sasa Road, near Meron Junction)
• Lavi Forest – (Golani Interchange)
• Mt. Turan – (near Golani Interchange-Mitzpe Netofa)
• Segev Forest

Lower Galilee

• Beit Keshet Forest
• Swiss Forest
• Tiberias Forest

Southern District

• Amatzia woodlands – (near Amatzia)
• Melachim Forest, Shachariya – (between Kiryat Gat and Lakhish Junction)

Negev

• Be’eri Forest – (on Road No. 232 near Be’eri from Hodiya Junction (Road No. 232) off Zikim-Karmia Road)
• Lahav Forest – (northern Negev)
• Yatir Forest – (northeast Negev)