Ramat Hanadiv

After our lovely hike on the Zichron Ya'akov circular route, we made our way to Ramat Handiv Memorial Gardens and Nature Park. Ramat Hanadiv, which means Heights of the Benefactor, is the final resting place of Baron Edmond de Rothschild and his wife Adelheid. Baron Edmond was a great philanthropist and strong supporter of Zionism. He made his mark by purchasing land and settling it. He established dozens of moshavot, factories and wineries, promoting industrialization and economic development in Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Located just south of Zichron Ya'akov, on the southern slopes of Mount Carmel, Ramat Hanadiv is well known for its beautifully maintained memorial gardens. There is also a striking visitors centre, which was the first public LEED certified 'green' building in Israel. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

As you enter the memorial gardens, you see the Rothschild coat of arms, above. A bronze shield in the centre is supported by a lion and a unicorn, symbols of power and control. The clenched fist with five arrows symbolize the five sons of Mayer Rothschild, patriarch of the Rothschild clan.

At the centre of the memorial gardens is the crypt of the Baron and Baroness. Baron Edmond died in 1934 and Baroness Adelheid in 1935. On 6th April 1954 their bodies were brought to Israel from France and laid to rest at Ramat Hanadiv. Baron Edmond specified in his will that he wished to be buried in Israel and was brought here aboard a naval frigate which, upon arrival in Haifa, was greeted with sirens and a nineteen-gun salute. The government decreed a state funeral and the Baron and Baroness were re-interred in Israel, at the heart of one of the regions most populated with settlements that the Baron had helped to establish.

More than half a million visitors enter the gates of the Ramat Hanadiv Memorial Gardens annually. The beautifully landscaped gardens are divided into gardens within the garden. The Rose Garden is a formal garden with a wide variety of roses including the deep red fragrant rose Baronne E. de Rothschild, a sundial which symbolizes eternity, and six pools with fountains, representing the Baron and his five sons. The Fragrance Garden was designed with the visually impaired in mind with braille signs for those who need them, and the Cascading Garden, which features unusual dragon trees from the Canary Islands, enjoy stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. The Palm Garden, located on the eastern side of the park, includes a small selection of the world's 2,600 palms.

There are lots of shady spots with benches to sit on, flowers and trees from all over the world, and well-tended green lawns. The gardens are also full of plaques with interesting facts and anecdotes about Rothschild, and his contribution to the growth and development of the area.

Outside the formal memorial gardens, three circular hiking trails start and end at Ramat Hanadiv, and a section of the Israel National Trail passes through the gardens as well. I blogged about the Spring Trail back in 2013 and I have also hiked the Manor Trail, where ruins of a Byzantine Period agricultural villa with storehouses and stables can be seen. I still need to try the Vulture Trail, which is the longest and most challenging of the three trails in the Nature Park. It is recommended for skilled hikers only, which puts me off somewhat! We did see the Griffon vultures high in the sky above us when we hiked the gentler Zichron Ya'akov circular route.

We arrived at Ramat Handiv midafternoon, when the crowds were beginning to dissipate, enabling us to enjoy the place in a peaceful and relaxing manner. I would think it is best to avoid visiting the gardens during the holidays and hagim (Jewish holidays) or to arrive very early. Entrance to the park is free of charge but there is a small car park charge. I highly recommend a visit!

* This post has been shared on Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) and Tuesday Turn About.

Dove of Peace

A customer asked me for a special card to send to a fellow professional in Australia. She wanted something "Israeli" but nothing religious or political. She had already thought about a white dove, the symbol of peace. After some thought, I suggested adding some Jerusalem-style buildings, in the creamy, gold colour of the ancient Jerusalem stone, along with some bright red pomegranates, one of the Seven Species mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as being native to the Land of Israel. Many Jewish families serve the fruit on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) in the hope that the coming year will bring many blessings.

I created a card which was predominantly blue and white, the national colours of Israel. I cut out a white dove carrying an olive branch. The dove is a symbol of peace from the biblical story of Noah's ark. Noah released the dove to find dry land after a flood, and the dove returned carrying an olive branch, signaling that the flood had receded.

The Vilna Gaon, a scholar and one of the greatest Talmud experts (the Talmud is a record of the rabbinic debates in the 2nd-5th century on the teachings of the Torah), declares that a dove is a symbol of the human soul. The dove is also considered to be a symbol of the people of Israel.

I added the word "Shalom" in English. The word Shalom is a very important word. It has several meanings: it is a greeting word (like Hello, but also Goodbye), it means peace and health and stems from the root S.L.M. that means complete or perfect.

The green trees behind the Jerusalem stone buildings are cypress trees. For centuries, Middle Eastern culture has identified the cypress with the afterlife, prompted by its evergreen quality and the fact that it is roughly shaped like a candle, a symbol of the soul in both Judaism and Islam. It is commonly planted at cemeteries of both faiths throughout Israel - including the military cemetery at Mount Herzl.
Long ago the wood of the Mediterranean cypress was used for building the Temple, ships, and musical instruments. Locals believe potions and ointments made from the fruit of the Mediterranean cypress can treat diabetes, strengthen the immune system, heal gum infections and fungus, and alleviate toothaches.

In 1898 Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism, planted a cypress tree to symbolize his dream for the future of the Land of Israel and the birth of a Jewish State. The cypress tree started to grow and with it, the hope of Israel to see a state. For several years the cypress was a symbol of hope for all the Jews who sat in its shade on the way to Jerusalem. Sadly it did not last long; in 1915 it was chopped down and burned!

I cannot finish this post without mentioning the Hamas war on Israel. Yesterday morning, 1st September, it was announced that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alex Lubnov and Ori Danino had been murdered whilst held in captivity in Gaza. Hamas kidnapped them on 7th October 2023. They kept them hostage for 330 days and then murdered them and left them in tunnels, to be found by Israeli soldiers. Their captors had fled. These young people were killed for no reason but hate.

May their memory be a blessing.

101 hostages remained in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Bring them home now!

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) and Tuesday Turn About.

Climbing

Ro'i likes the idea of parkour jumping. His Mum isn't so keen. She didn't want me to show her son jumping between buildings, so together they decided on a picture of him climbing a tree instead. Apparently he climbs on everything!

Mum also suggested that I show him wearing a grey hoodie, and she asked me to add his favourite football team Chelsea F.C.'s badge too. He's a big fan!

When Mum received the card she messaged me to say "I love it! It looks just like him. Thanks!", then on Ro'i's birthday she sent me this fabulous photo. Looks like he was happy to receive his card.

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Seasons, Creative Mondays, Blue Monday, Inspiration Monday, Monday's Musings, Amaze Me Monday, The Good. The Random. The Fun. and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).

The Ilanot National Arboretum

The Ilanot National Arboretum (Ilanot is the Hebrew word for trees) was founded in 1950 by the newly established State of Israel to study which species of trees would flourish here. The information was later applied in afforestation projects all over Israel. Major studies were done at Ilanot, among others in seed collection and tree pests. The arboretum occupied the site for over thirty years but was closed by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1986. It fell into neglect, becoming overgrown with weeds, and some of the trees died because they did not suit the climate and soil conditions, or withered from lack of care.
Fortunately, in 2013 the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) decided to restore this little forest, transforming it into a spot where tree buffs could spend days, but also as a park for the general public as well. Trees have been planted, including some of the original species that died, and explanatory signs, many with a QR Code that leads you to a webpage with information about the tree, have been prepared. Today you can find more than 750 species of trees here, local and exotic, among them over 100 different eucalyptus species.

The trees are arranged in a grove with twenty-five sections, in accordance with the geographical regions from which they were collected. We saw the Japanese Sago Palm, a relic of the ancient plant world, a variety of eucalyptus trees, an Australian conifer, a Chilean Mesquite tree, an American cypress and others. A labyrinth is a new attraction in the arboretum, formed with concentric circles of two kinds of shrubs, Blue Kuni-rhus and Crepe Myrtle. Both of these species are easy to shape and therefore suitable for labyrinths. Across from the labyrinth is the Casuarina Circle, very tall She-oak trees creating a circle and a very special atmosphere eight metres high. A little further along the paved trail, across a wooden bridge over a dried-up stream, are two beautiful specimens of cork oak, below. The oak's wonderful bark is the source for corks that are used in bottling wine.
The 130-dunam area has wheelchair-accessible pathways running through it, picnic tables, and benches where visitors can rest and enjoy the trees. A tour through the arboretum is a fabulous experience for nature lovers and a great place to get to know exotic and amazing-looking trees from foreign lands.