Growing the Future Together

This month we celebrate Tu BiShvat, the new year for the trees. Trees, and the idea of sustainability, have always held a special place in the Jewish faith. The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah teaches that “God planted a garden of trees in Eden. So you, too, when you will enter the land of Israel, planting trees should be your first involvement.” Many have truly taken this teaching to heart. In fact, according to embassies.gov, over 200 million trees now stand in Israel; making it one of the few countries in the world to have more trees now than it did 100 years ago, thanks to the efforts of its people in keeping the land healthy and intact for future generations.

The Siegel JCC has recently implemented this teaching right here in Wilmington. In December of 2022, the Siegel JCC was awarded funding to plant 147 trees on campus from the Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI). TEDI’s mission is to combat climate change by working with the Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Forest Service to plant 1 million trees by 2030. According to the TEDI tree tracker, found at de.gov/tedi, over 72,000 trees have been planted through their grant program, and a total of 120,000 have been planted overall, since January 2020. All Delawareans are encouraged to add their trees planted to the tree tracker to show their support for this initiative and their mission.

The J is so grateful to be a part of this initiative. Not only do these trees add so much beauty to the campus, but they stand as a symbol of the J’s commitment to a greener future. Ivy Harlev, CEO of Siegel JCC, worked alongside the facilities staff to get all the trees planted as soon as they arrived. Ivy expresses her gratitude for the opportunity to build a better and more sustainable future for the J and the community overall.

Trees are so beneficial to the environment in so many ways. They clean the air, improve water quality, enrich the soil with nutrients, support wildlife, and so much more. Treating them as a disposable resource and ignoring the vital part they play in the health of our planet is an extremely dangerous mindset that seems sadly prevalent in the world today. The J’s partnership with TEDI is a small but beautiful step toward altering that mindset. We all have the power to grow a brighter future together, one tree at a time. Let’s get planting.