[Forests Are Born] (sound)

by a Reclamation of the land itself in other lands men entered the Primeval forests cleared the foliage and the underbrush fought for space to live for space to grow the crops man needs in Israel it has been the other way around men bring all their skill to the task of planting man-made forests [Applause] and as they test the soil in preparation for the moment in which a forest will be born they strengthen bonds with Jews throughout the world for the forests that are born in Israel are the work of many hands the hands of those who search for the secrets of nature in Israel and the hands of men and women who thousands of miles away share the dream of a burdent land reclaimed [Music] the testing of the soil is only one of many steps that must be taken long before the moment in which the tender roots are gently placed in Israel's soil for if a forest is to flourish the prevailing winds must be just right the relative humidity must be considered the soil structure of the area must be checked and so for months before technicians assembl facts and figures which will Aid the Jewish National Fund in making its decisions as to when and where a forest will be born at headquarters of the Jewish National Fund the maps are drawn and studied the decisions that must be made are not only where and when to plant but also what kind of trees are to be planted each map Drawn helps to find the solution to a question each Contour studied helps to bring the moment of a forest's birth that much closer and each such Forest is part of a master plan guiding that master plan is Mr Joseph vites the director of the aforestation Department of the Jewish National Fund for many decades he has helped to shape an early dream of a verdant Israel into today's [Music] reality the jnf tree nurseries located in many parts of Israel must produce at the right time the right number and the right variety of seedlings to be planted this is the Fun's tree nursery in the Judean mountains in Samson's country to be exact in as the workers at ashto have come mainly from North Africa and Yemen from various cultures and backgrounds at EOL they share a common Vision the vision of a country once again made [Music] green there is a reason why a tree nursery is called a nursery for as with children so with tiny seedlings it is care and concern and love which make them grow even the simple task of punching drainage holes in soil tins which will hold the growing seedlings can be an act of love this is work in which each man's hands shape the future work which is done with a will and understanding work which allows men who not so long ago did not share even a Common Language to cooperate with each other to work as a team the saplings raised at estto are mainly Pines tamarisks acaas and Eucalyptus they are the stockpile for the forests in the mountains during the planting season ashol reflects the great activity throughout the Judean Hills [Music] each day Consignments of saplings leave Bound for aforestation centers in the area each day the saplings begin their Journey upwards to the mountain sides and slopes which will be their permanent homes each morning trucks leave Jerusalem as they leave other towns and Villages throughout the country to take workers to New Forest sites The Men Who climb aboard the trucks are mainly unskilled immigrants recently arrived in Israel since 1948 the Jewish National Fund has provided more than a quarter of a million work days in a forestation alone some 5,000 men are given work each planting season on payday at an aforestation Center you feel the excit of men who are learning that they have an important part to play in Israel's [Music] growth a new immigrant in a new land needs beyond all else a sense of confidence a sense of being needed a knowledge of his own capacity for self-sufficiency you feel that it is more than Mountain sides which are being rehabilitated by the Jewish National Fund in recent years the Jewish National Fund has extended its aforestation program to the neev Israel's Southland Barren and treeless for [Music] centuries the needs of the neev are far different from the needs of the Mountain [Music] Country there large forests are planted in order to hold the precious top soil and prevent erosion also so to produce Timber and beautify the [Music] countryside in the neev the enemy is sand trees are needed to Anchor sand dunes which otherwise wander with the wind and encroach on neighboring fields to destroy hard one crops and so small Groves and clumps and rows of trees are planted rather than great contiguous forests [Music] in the fields of the neev you will see thin lines of trees shelter belts they are called which protect fields and Farms from the constantly shifting Sands but it is alongside the roads of the neev that you see most clearly the importance of trees in the desert with the partnership of Jewish communities and individuals thousands of miles away the jnf is planting miles of trees 32 200 trees to the mile these miles of trees are living buffers against the drifting Sands which can plot out a highway in a matter of a few hours the little markers on the roadside announce the understanding of those who make these Avenues of trees of possibility the great handicap in the aforestation of the neev has then of course the lack of water the young saplings must be irrigated this meant that a forestation was limited to areas close to the water [Music] pipeline bringing water to the neev has been one of the great and continuing tasks of the country as Israel seeks to bring fertility to the southern Wasteland the great pipes carried on the trucks hold promise of a day in which this part of Israel will be covered by shade giving moisture holding trees there is a sense of excitement in this project which goes forward day by day a sense of great achievement in the battle against the [Music] desert meanwhile to avoid the the use of water jnf Foresters have introduced a North African method of planting instead of digging holes ridges are thrown up to receive young trees The Ridges hold the moisture of the earth and need no irrigation the jnf experimental tree nursery for the neev is in gilat here one successful experiment has led to planting sisle which produces fiber for rope and Sachs it is hoped that within a few years 20,000 dunams will produce sisol and Israel will be self-sufficient in the manufacturer of products from it in Israel you see various kinds of trees in Galilee there are still remnants of old oak forests but the new Woodlands are mainly Pines Pines need little soil and their Roots pierced deeply into the Earth seeking out whatever little living space exists between the stones and rocks throughout Israel the jnf chooses the right specie to meet local conditions this is an old eucalyptus Forest near hadera planted by the early colonists of Baron Roth's child where there is now a beautiful interplay of light and Shadow there were once only malaria ridden marshes the early colonists chose eucalyptus because it drains the Earth of moisture today eucalyptus is planted again but for a different reason it produces one of the finest kinds of wood for commercial uses each kind of tree has not only Beauty but purpose among the trees now widely planted are tamarisks acaas and the noble Cyprus [Music] recently introduced is the picturesque carab tree beautiful yes but useful too its fruit is a highly nutritious fodder for cattle and [Music] poultry although we generally think of planting trees when we talk of a forestation jnf work extends as well to the care and conservation of the forests Israel forests are young but some have fully matured and must be thinned and pruned if the trees are to grow like all of Israel's forestry program lumbering operations are carefully planned and carried out only those trees are felled which are so close to one another that their growth and development would be held back if they were not removed the sound of the ringing ax in Israel's Woodlands is a sound of construction not of halfhazard [Music] Destruction each tree Feld allows water and light to reach the other trees each Cry of Timber Heralds further growth and Majesty for the trees which are left in the [Music] forest the logs that raced down the mountain sides are small as compared to the forest Harvest of other countries but they are deeply important to the Israel economy they also represent the first economic return on monies invested by the jnf in planting forests Israel's average annual wood consumption is 400,000 tons and most of this wood is being imported the aim of Israel's Foresters is to supply onethird of the country's present needs that would require an area of half a million dunams of mature Woodlands it is hope that this goal is achieved in 10 to 15 years meanwhile the Woodland product is already being used at the sephen factory in MX Jezreel jnf grown Timber is used exclusively and frequently Finds Its way to other lands like people everywhere Israelis love the tranquility and peace of forests perhaps men and women in a pioneering land where the stresses of daily life are above average appreciate these simple natural virtues more than most they find joy and happiness in Israel's growing Woodland areas and there are other smaller creatures who presumably are also grateful to the jnf [Music] for most people the forests mean beauty and a sense of closeness with nature but there is a deeper meaning a great sentimental Mission which Israel's forests serve they perpetuate the names of those in whose honor they were planted a forest lives and grows and in Israel the names of Statesmen and of kings of friends of the Jewish people and Jewish leaders are perpetuated in the very soil of Israel to be handed down from generation to generation the honor is not reserved only for the great the rank and file of the Jewish world are likewise linked to Israel through Israel's [Music] forests for these children marching up the rocky hillsides around Jerusalem the planting of a tree is a compact with the [Music] future when you place a tree in the ground you make a promise a promise that you will be there tomorrow to care for your tree and watch it [Applause] grow the jus M Forest they are helping to plant will have 1 million trees a belt of green surrounding the holy city providing playgrounds and Recreation adding also the soft touch of Woodland to the gray Contours of the hills surrounding the holy [Music] city this young Forest like all the others having been planted with so much care and love labor and investment must be protected from [Music] [Applause] damage one of the greatest dangers is [Music] [Applause] fire in a hot dry country where drought is a usual condition where the parched land is Without Rain for the greater part of the Year fire must be fought vigorously [Music] fire Lanes planned in advance are one way of preventing conflagrations observation towers built by the Ken cayet in recent years are another measure for Fire Control during the summer guards are on duty day and night to spot any suspicious smoke rising in the wide area which can be seen from the lookout points the observation towers also attract many visitors who enjoy the wide vistas of the countryside it is a great day when a forest is to be born there is a light-heartedness and excitement when the platters are children and if it should be Tu bishvat the new year of the trees the holiday spirit is much in evidence recently thousands of Jerusalem children planted the first trees in adulam a new area being developed Southwest of Jerusalem the 15 Villages which will rise in adulam will have shade and Beauty put there by the hands of young children tubish fat is more than most a children's [Music] holiday these youngsters may not understand it yet but the tiny seedlings given them are a promise a promise of a time to come in which each man shall sit beneath his [Music] tree these little ones like the tender plants they carry will grow together toward that day and like the children the plants are part of Israel's great [Music] tomorrow that tomorrow is brought Closer by each Forest which is born here hundreds of guests from Great Britain and Ireland joined in dedicating the independence Forest they heard Mr Joseph V stress the importance of the aforestation program a program begun during the time of the Mandate when the British flag flew over Palestine and they listened as Mrs Golda mayor Israel's foreign minister urged neighboring Arab states to undertake similar constructive activity as a starting point for peace both a nation and a man were honored by the Jews of France when the juar forest was dedicated at top mount bira near safed foreign minister goldem mayor paid to the popular French ambassador to Israel Miss Pierre jilber and a distinguished audience both from Israel and from France heard the Ambassador who has learned to speak a perfect Hebrew reaffirm the great traditional friendship between France and Israel there was deep symbolism in establishing this forest for as Ambassador jilber was honored two Nations expressed their friendship for each other while most of the forest had been planted Ambassador zuar place still another tree a further promise of warm friendship a promise reaffirmed by foreign minister Golda [Music] mayor M Jil bear received the tri of a grateful people with typical French Grace the forest most meaningful to the Jewish heart is the martyr's forest in memory of the Six Million Jewish dead as part of this Forest a b brith Forest will be planted half a million trees in memory of those who gave their lives in Hitler's Europe American representatives of Benet brith joined in a solemn ceremony in the Judean Hills as the New Forest was born the tragedy and heroism of the 6 million will live eternally as a bright flame in the hearts of the Jewish people [Music] out of death there had come life out of a memory of pain the promise of fruitfulness for on this Hillside another Forest will be born [Music] from Small Beginnings the jnf serving of people's will and faith has carried forward planting in the first 10 years of Israel's nationhood some 32 million trees all in all clothing some 200,000 dunams of the land of Israel each day each week each month in Israel the forests are born [Music] The Roots move firmly downwards reclaiming an ancient Heritage and the branches of the trees reach upwards toward the heavens and Israel's Destiny look upon the forests and [Music] rejoice look even on the barren hillsides which remain and offer up Thanksgiving for the land each square foot is filled with promise and the vision of Ezekiel is being realized as Israel's forests are born and the tree of the field shall yield her fruit and they shall be safe safe upon their own soil [Music]