Dear readers,
As we enter the season surrounding the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat, many Jews around the world wish to make a charitable donation for planting trees as a way to celebrate this holiday. I would like to suggest two organizations that support tree planting in ways that also help communities build their economy and local resources in an environmentally sustainable way:
1. The Jewish National Fund’s Operation Northern Renewal: Responding to the environmental and economic devastation in northern Israel after the Lebanon war of 2006, and staying true to its mandate to respond to the needs of the land and people of Israel, JNF has just announced a $400 million, 10-year, worldwide plan to rebuild and renew northern Israel and help make it home again for its residents. Visit JNF.org and click on ‘plant trees’ to help them achieve this goal.
2. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is a nonprofit charity dedicated to planting edible, fruitful trees and plants to benefit the environment and all its inhabitants. Our primary mission is to plant and help others plant a collective total of 18 billion fruit trees across the world (approximately 3 for every person alive) and encourage their growth under organic standards.
FTPF provides support, resources, and guidance for those interested in planting fruit trees and spearheads a variety of planting programs. These programs are aimed at enriching the environment, providing nutritious food sources for wild and rescued animals, and improving human health by bringing delicious, fresh, locally grown raw fruits and vegetables of the highest quality into the lives of all people.
FTPF also seeks to secure land throughout the world with the sole purpose restoring native plant ecosystems with an abundance of fruit trees and plants that benefit the surrounding air, water, and soil and provide food sources for wild animals.
To make a donation, visit http://www.ftpf.org to make a secure donation online, or make check payable to “The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation” and mail it to:
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF)
P.O. Box 900113
San Diego , CA 92190
p.s. check out some great quotations about being an eco-Jew from yours truly in the forward.