The first trees have been planted in the Heroes Forest sponsored by the Farband-Labor Zionist Order of the United States, which is using this method to honor the Israeli men and women who died in the War of Independence. The Farband decided to set up the forest at its 1950 national convention. Since then the organization has raised $300, 000 from among its 30, 000 members. It plans to plant 200, 000 trees.
The forest was dedicated at a ceremony on a hill overlooking the Judean countryside. A military detachment presented arms as an Israeli flag was raised and then lowered to half-mast in honor of the fallen heroes. Present at the ceremony were representatives of the Jewish National Fund of America, through which the forest is being established, Meyer Brown, president of Farband, David Pinsky, noted Yiddish dramatist and former president of Farband, and Dr. Abraham Granot, world president of the J.N.F.
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