08/20/2021
On August 15th, a fire broke out in the Jerusalem Hills. It spread quickly, and in just a couple of hours, thousands of residents were evacuated from 10 communities. We were personally upset to hear one of our recent JNF Canada projects, the Eitanim Medical Center, a psychiatric facility in the Jerusalem Hills, had been evacuated Sunday but thankfully the patients and staff had returned by Monday.
“In [my] 35 years in the central highlands region, this is the second-largest wildfire that I’ve seen here... The fire’s intensity and the speed of its spread [have been unparalleled] in recent memory.” - Hanoch Tzoref, KKL forester for the central highlands
This is the largest and most devastating wildfire to occur in the Jerusalem area in recent years, with heavy air pollution and the loss of dozens of species of flora and fauna unique to the area – an entire ecosystem went up in flames. Unfortunately, the damage caused by the fire will take years, if not decades, to rehabilitate – approximately 4,000 acres of planted forests and natural woodland were destroyed. These are only initial estimations.
Canadians have planted millions of trees in Israel over the decades, some of which were destroyed in this fire. JNF Canada is working with partners on the ground to assess the damage and prepare for the first stages of rehabilitation needed to help the forests and environment start to heal.
Please join us and make a gift to ensure that the forests around Jerusalem will remain green and lush for generations to come.
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