The Jewish National Fund launched its annual afforestation project, on the occasion of the Jewish “New Year of the Trees” yesterday.
The JNF program was begun under a special dispensation from the Chief Rabbinate which permitted the planting of trees despite the fact that this is a sabbatical year when the earth should be allowed to lie fallow. However, the Chief Rabbinate took into account not only Israel’s needs for trees but the fact that the program promises work for 5,000 new immigrants. The portion of the program which is handled by schoolchildren remained under the sabbatical ban.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.