Water Reservoirs Israel’s chronic water shortage is growing. Both the population boom and rise in the standard of living are causing an increase in water consumption, both for domestic and for industrial use. Simultaneously the main water resources are becoming more and more polluted: the reservoirs of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and aquifers. The KKL-JNF has built more than 200 water reservoirs since the 1980s. The water reservoirs are divided into three categories, according to the sources of water they contain: a) harvesting of surface runoff; b) spring water collection – during winter spring water is impounded and stored for later use; c) impounding of recycled water - which is waste water that has been purified in a treatment plant for agricultural reuse; it is mainly used to irrigate orchards. All together the KKL-JNF water reservoirs contribute about one tenth of Israel’s water consumption.

Rosh HaNikraRosh HaNikra is a nature reserve which is located at the point that the western Sulam Tzor Ridge meets with the northern coastal plain. The sea meets the ridge at the promontory and the many grottoes and crannies are at the foot of this cliff. While in the past only daring divers and swimmers could access the grottoes via the sea, today a cable car line facilitates visitors who come to tour the rock tunnels, to watch and listen to the waves as they powerfully crash onto the limestone. Coastal flora grows on top of the ridge, which also offers an impressive view of the entire northern coastal plain of Israel. During the Second World War the British Army paved a railway that connected Israel to Lebanon through Rosh HaNikra. During the War of Independence the Palmach, Striking Companies, blew up the railway and since then it has not been used. The name of Kibbutz Rosh HaNikra, which was built on top of the ridge in 1949, draws from the Arabic Ras al-Nakura.

The Western WallCurrently, the Western Wall is the most sacred place for the Jewish people. The Western Wall is the western remnant of a retaining wall that was built by King Herod during the time of the Second Temple which enclosed the Temple Mount area. The length of the wall is about 92 feet [28 meters] and it is 60 feet [18 meters] high. Most of the wall is buried under the surface, apart from of the Western Wall Plaza. Accounts of Jews praying in the vicinity of the wall that surrounded the Temple Mount were recorded by travelers and pilgrims as early as the 4th Century AD. However, the practice of praying next to the Western Wall seems to have originated at the beginning of the Ottoman reign in Jerusalem in the 16th Century AD. During the period between the War of Independence and the Six Day War the Western Wall came under Jordanian control. Following the Six Day War the Western Wall came under Israeli control and now is accessible to both non-Jews and Jews. The photograph featuring paratroopers standing in front of the Western Wall after capturing the Old City is one of the most famous and touching photos in the history of the State of Israel.

He is also known by the acronym HaRai’ah (the evidence). He was a rabbi, a posek [“decider” on religious matters], a Kabbalist and philosopher. Rabbi Kook was one of the greatest Torah scholars in recent times. Born in Latvia, Rabbi Kook served as rebbe of his hometown until immigrating to The Land of Israel in 1904. After that he served as the Chief Rabbi of Jaffa. In 1919 he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, and in 1921 he founded the Chief Rabbinate in Israel and was appointed the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. He also established the Mercaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem and became the spiritual leader of the Religious Zionists. He published many essays, including Orot HaKodesh (Lights of Holiness) and Igrot HaRaiyah (Letters of Rabbi Kook). His rulings in religious matters were published in his exegetic books of decisions and still to this day serve as the foundations of Halacha and the laws and customs of the Land of Israel. He died and was buried in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (1865-1935)

MasadaMasada, a symbol of the Jewish people’s struggle for independence and freedom, is an ancient citadel, built on top of one of the Judean Desert’s towering cliffs. Masada was built by the Roman King Herod who reigned in Israel between the 74 - 4 BC. At the time of the First Jewish-Roman War, in 73 AD, a group of 960 Jewish extremists, the Zealots, among them women and children, captured Masada and fought from here. The extremely steep cliff and remoteness from any other settlements and access routes allowed the rebels to courageously resist the Roman Army for approximately three months. When the Romans finally broke into the stronghold they discovered that the Jewish rebels had burnt the buildings and had taken their own lives. Masada became a symbol of courage and heroism, a source of inspiration for many works of art and was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2001.

Hannah Szenes (1921-1944)Hannah Szenes, a Jewish fighter and a poet, was born in 1921 in Budapest, Hungary. At the age of 18 she immigrated to Israel after having personally experienced the taste of anti-Semitism. Here Hannah Szenes completed her education in an agricultural school and then became one of the founders of Kibbutz Sdot Yam. She volunteered in the British Army and in March 1944 she parachuted, with a group of paratroopers, onto European soil to assist in the fight against Nazi Germany. Hannah was captured and sent to prison in Hungry. Although she was tortured by her guards she revealed no information about her comrades nor did she disclose facts about her mission in Europe. On November 7, 1944 she was executed at the young age of 23. Her poems, which were found in her secret diary, were published after her death, including the most well-known ones A Walk to Caesarea, and Blessed is the Match. Her image serves as role model and a symbol of patriotic self-sacrifice.

Recycling A process in which waste is broken down and then “brought back” as raw material to be reused to produce new products. Recycling has many economical and ecological advantages, as it enables us to save on raw material use and it reduces waste and pollution. Recyclable materials might be paper, metals such as aluminum and iron, plastic, glass, organic waste and fabric. In the process of paper recycling, for example, used paper is pulverized and new recycled paper is produced. In nature the process of recycling is perennial, while for example, all of the waste of one organism (exfoliation, for example) is used as a resource for other organisms (germs and insects which are fed by these leaves and let them decompose back into the soil). Fifteen to twenty five percent of Israel’s waste is recycled.

HaifaHaifa, the northern capital of the State of Israel, is the third largest city in the country. Haifa extends from Mount Carmel to the Haifa Bay; the city is famous for its beautiful and varied landscapes. The Carmel Park, the biggest “green lungs” in the country, sits at the southern outskirts of the city. Since the 3rd Century BC Haifa has served as a port town, and today it is the biggest maritime hub in the country. Haifa was the main base of the British Mandate and the last place they cleared out when they left the country. During the War of Independence Haganah units subdued the city’s Arab residents and Jewish immigrants repopulated their houses. Since then the city has gradually grown and evolved to the extent that it hosts a number of renowned public buildings like the Haifa University, the Technion Institute of Technology, and the Bahá’í Gardens. It also boasts various means of transportation like an airport, a railway system, a cable car line, a seaport and the Carmelit subway. Throughout its history members of various religions have settled in the city and today too, Arabs and Jews dwell peacefully side by side; thus Haifa has become a symbol of coexistence and peace between peoples.

The Aqueduct of Caesarea Caesarea, one of the most important ancient port-towns in Israel, was already inhabited during the Hellenistic Period and Jews lived there under the reign of the Hasmonean Dynasty. It was rebuilt by the Roman King Herod and was named after Caesar Augustus. As typical of other major Roman cities, an aqueduct was also built in Caesarea that brought fresh water to the city. Its remains are preserved to this day. Three different systems are evident in the high aqueduct. Aqueduct A brought water from the Shuni springs to Caesarea on an inbuilt tunnel on top of a continuous and occasionally arched wall; the deeper and wider Aqueduct B was built additionally at its side to increase the capacity of the water supply. Finding such as repairs on the top of it are evidence as to its function, as well as the existence of eleven inscriptions. Aqueduct C, the lowest, was built on top of Aqueduct B when the water level rose and the population decreased. As the population of the city grew again, there was a demand for more sources of fresh water and then the low aqueduct was built concomitantly to the high aqueduct and it supplied water from the Ma’agan Michael area.

JaffaJaffa, one of the oldest port towns in the world was built on the Mediterranean coast in Israel. It was first mentioned in ancient Egyptian documents dated 1470 AD and then in the Bible as the site from which the prophet Jonah departed to Nineveh. Throughout history Jaffa has changed hands many times between various rulers who demolished and reconstructed it again and again. During the 19th Century, the Jewish community returned to Jaffa and worked for the settlement of the Jews in the Land of Israel. From the end of the 19 Century Jaffa served as an entrance gate and center for immigrants to Israel. The first Jewish neighborhoods, Neve Tzedek and Neve Shalom, were built in its vicinity and the Jaffa-Jerusalem railway line was laid here. During the War of Independence Haganah forces besieged the town and most of the Arabs fled, their houses were repopulated by new immigrants and the city was annexed to Tel Aviv. Today Jaffa has a heterogeneous population with a majority of Jewish residents.

Mount TaborMount Tabor, one of the highest and most important of the mountains of the Galilee raises high above the Jezreel Valley. Its peak reaches 1,840 feet above sea level. Its proximity to an important crossroad can explain its central role throughout history: this mountain was used as a boundary between the inheritances of the tribes of Issachar, Zvulun, and Naftaly; during the war of Barak and Deborah, in the Book of Judges, the tribes of Israel gathered on its summit before waging war against Sisera. During the Period of the Second Temple fire beacons were lit on its summit to make the dates of Jewish high days known to all. It was also the scene of battlefields during the First Jewish-Roman War. Over time it has frequently changed hands, and during the Byzantine Era some churches and a monastery were built on it. Today the rich Mediterranean woodland vegetation that covers the mountain includes the Palestine oak, terebinth tree, pine trees, carob trees, and more. Tabor is a biblical name and one of its interpretations is navel [in Hebrew Tabur] which rises high above its surroundings.

The Makhtesh Katan The Makhtesh Katan (the small Makhtesh or crater), originally known as “Makhtesh Hatzera”, is the most striking of the Negev Makhteshim and part of a larger nature reserve that incorporates more craters. Like the other Negev Makhteshim it was formed due to a rare combination of geological conditions. Its beauty and uniqueness rank it highly as a natural treasure. It is about 4.3 miles long, 3 miles wide and 1470 feet deep, it is almost of a full circle with one drainage opening. It was not on the map until 1942 when it was discovered by a group of hikers from the HaMahanot HaOlim youth movement. The KKL-JNF paved a 13 km road in 1958 that links the Makhtesh with the Be’er-Sheva - Sodom Route. The Israel Nature & Parks Authority carries out all maintenance and restoration work in the Reserve.

Going out to the forestDue to industrialization and urbanization open areas have dwindled. Vigorous and extensive development and paving of roads have both edged nature and open areas out of the environment while grey has taken over the green. Still, going outside to the open forests has both psychological and physical benefits and provides tourists with a chance to rest and get some air in the forest, this also conveys the importance of conserving “green lungs” and of leaving some green corners undeveloped and untouched , as an escape from the everyday rat race. Hiking in parks is also an opportunity to explore what the forest does for the environment and the balancing role it plays in maintaining high air quality, carbon sequestration (capturing carbon from the air) and pollutant filtration. The KKL-JNF develops forests for outdoor and recreational activities and to strengthen the connection between the public and community and the forests. Accessibility to the forests has improved immensely, picnic and recreation areas and sports facilities have been built, scenic roads and bicycle trails were paved, thus the forests were turned into delightful and significant destinations for many recreational, sports, and leisure activities.

Itzhak RabinWas born in Jerusalem and grew up in Tel Aviv. He was a member of the Palmach, the “strike force”, and participated in many operations and commanded over the Har’el Brigade during the War of Independence. He served in various command duties in the IDF and as the seventh Chief of Staff, and was the commander during the Six Day War. In 1967 after concluding his army career he turned to politics as a member of the Labor Party. In June 1974 he was nominated the fifth Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and became the first “Sabra” in this position. After signing a peace treaty with Jordan in October 1994 he was awarded a Nobel Prize. It was during his office as Prime Minister, on November 4, 1995, that Rabin was assassinated after a mass rally in support for the peace treaty in Tel Aviv. The date of his murder was set as a national memorial day.

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858-1922)The Reviver of the Hebrew language. He immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1881 and settled in Jerusalem. He believed that the revival of the Hebrew nation could only happen in the Land of Israel and should go hand in hand with the revival of the Hebrew language. He made an oath to speak only Hebrew during his lifetime and worked tirelessly to reinstate Hebrew as the spoken language in the Land of Israel. In advocating for the inclusion of Hebrew as the spoken language in schools, Ben-Yehuda preceded his time. He invented many innovative words, composed textbooks, wrote his masterpiece the “Ben-Yehuda Dictionary”, and edited a Hebrew newspaper – HaZvi. In 1890 he founded the Hebrew Language Committee, and in 1913 he joined in the “War of the Languages” and struggled to restore Hebrew as the spoken language in the Jewish educational system.

PlantingWhat is so important about planting trees?

During its long lifetime one tree provides a habitat for many birds.

A tree growing next to a house is like an acoustic wall – itsignificantly isolates noises.

One tree helps reduce the ambient temperature: duringsummer temperature can decrease by 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Planting trees helps in soil preservation and preventsdesertification.

One tree can absorb 20 kilograms of dust annually andsequesters about 80 kilograms of suspensions which containtoxic metals such as mercury, lithium, and lead.

Planting a tree is an active method to stop the greenhouseeffect which increases global warming.

One tree cleans, filters and purifies 100,000 cubic meters ofpolluted air, produces 700 kilograms of oxygen, andsequesters 20 tons of carbon dioxide.

One person should plant 200 trees in order to “offset” thepollution created during that person’s lifetime.

One tree is invaluable in boosting joy, greenery, and life intothe urban landscape.

Since its establishment, the KKL-JNF has planted more than230 million trees that cover over 247,100 acres [100,000hectares] and help to prevent global warming.

Each Tu Bishvat, and continuously over the year, thousands of visitors plant trees in KKL-JNF forests.

As part of the United Nations Billion Trees Campaign theKKL-JNF pledged to plant six million trees over the nextten years.

The Jezreel ValleyThe Jezreel Valley, known for its heavy fertile soil, is a large valley which stretches from the Coastal Plain to the Jordan Valley and bounds the Lower Galilee from the Samaria Mountains. At the end of the 19th Century, the land redeemer Yehushua Hankin, began to purchase lands in the valley for the KKL and filled it with Jewish settlements and agricultural work. Over the years Hankin was able to purchase more and more land and the valley became populated with Jewish settlements, like Nahalal, Ein Harod and more and became an icon of Jewish settlement and agriculture. Throughout history the Jezreel Valley was a central transportation route and some important cities, like Megiddo and Yizrael, were built on its land. In the Bible it is mentioned in the story of Naboth the Jezreelite who cultivated his vineyard in the Valley, near the palace of King Ahab.

Meir Bar Ilan (1880-1949)Rabbi Meir Bar Ilan, one of the founders and leaders of the Mizrachi Movement and of Religious Zionism was born in 1880 in Volozhin in Belarus. In his youth he was educated in the renowned Volozhin Yeshiva which was directed by his father. At the beginning of his political career he served as a delegate to the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel, and founded and later served as head of the US Mizrachi Movement. In the land of Israel he served in senior positions: Secretary of the World Mizrachi Movement, Head of the Zionist General Council, a member of the Provisional State Council and more. His impressive intellectual record includes editing the daily religious newspaper HaTzofe, editing the Talmudic Encyclopedia and author of books for which he was awarded the Rabbi Kook Prize for Rabbinic Literature. Politically, Rabbi Bar Ilan was identified with the right wing and became a beacon for the National Religious Party. His way served as a source of inspiration for the Bar Ilan University which was named after him.

Bicycle Trails A bicycle is a comfortable, green and easy means of transportation and cycling is a source of enjoyment that allows people of all ages to do sports. The KKL-JNF has developed and paved hundreds of miles of bicycle trails all over the country, among them the Kinneret Scenic Trail, the From Sea to Sea Trail and more. Riding among forest trees, in beautiful green landscapes benefits riders and hikers, deepens their connection to the land and its trails and allows them to enjoy it from another perspective.

Berl KatznelsonOne of the leaders of the Labor Zionist Movement. He immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1909 and started out as an agricultural worker. He emerged as a spiritual leader during the second wave of immigration (Aliyah Shniya) and was a member of the JNF’s management. He was identified with the Labor Zionist Movement as a leader and teacher, a philosopher and author. He was one of the initiators of the Israeli Workers Union, the Histadrut, and a partaker in founding its establishments. Among other things he was active in establishing the Am Oved publishing house and the first daily newspaper, Davar; he was its first editor. During the period of 1941 to 1944 he was a member of KKL’s “Directorate Leadership”.

LimanA depression, or micro-catchment, which is embanked by an artificial rampart on the bed of a minor ephemeral stream in arid areas. The depression is then planted with trees, like eucalyptuses, acacias, dwarf mesquites, washingtonias, tamarisk and occasionally with other species like fruit trees. These trees can survive due to rainfall or surface runoff which is embanked in the liman. This method is based on ancient Nabataen irrigation methods. Limans are built in the Negev and Arava, areas with annual rainfall of 50 – 300 mm. The origin of the word liman is Greek which means harbor, and flooded area. The KKL-JNF builds picnic areas, and sometimes even camp-sites within the liman area, for hikers, passers-by, and soldiers.

Menachem Begin (1913-1992)Begin was born in Brest-Litovsk in Belarus, and was a lawyer by profession. At an early age he joined in the Beitar Movement and was later active in the Revisionist Movement which was headed by Ze’ev Jabotinsky. He was one of the IZL founders (A pre-state underground movement) and its last commander and was later involved in establishing the Herut Party which became the Likud Movement. In 1977 he was elected the sixth Prime Minister of Israel which precipitated a political upheaval when the right-oriented parties came to power. Begin signed a Peace Treaty with Egypt in 1978 and was thus awarded, together with the Egyptian President Anawar Sadat, the Nobel Peace Prize. Begin was head of the cabinet during the Peace of Galilee War. In 1983 he resigned from his office and secluded himself in his home till his death.