JNF UK to plant Jerusalem forest in chief rabbi's honor

JNF UK to plant Jerusale

By JONNY PAUL, JPOST CORRESPONDENT IN LONDON
The Jewish National Fund in the UK is marking the elevation of Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks to the House of Lords by planting a forest of 25,000 trees in Jerusalem in his name. Lord Sacks was honored with a life peerage in July and was elevated to the Lords in a ceremony last month. He will sit as a cross-bencher in Britain's upper house, as a member who is not affiliated to either the government or opposition. Members of the Jewish community in the UK and Commonwealth countries, can participate either by buying a single tree for £10 or as many trees as they wish in order to pay tribute to the chief rabbi. The name of each donor will be inscribed in a specially designed hand-written scroll, a copy of which will be presented to Sacks at a dedication ceremony in Israel next year. JNF UK chairman Samuel Hayek congratulated Sacks and called upon the entire Jewish community to celebrate the "historic occasion" and great honor. "The award of this peerage to the chief rabbi is indeed a great honor for the entire Jewish community, not only in the UK but also worldwide," he said. "JNF UK is delighted to be able to mark this historic occasion in such a remarkable way by enabling the entire community to play an integral part in this celebration and pay tribute to Lord Sacks in any capacity, large or small. "This project will bring together the whole community to celebrate the chief rabbi's contribution to the Jewish community and society at large, while also helping to meet one of JNF's key objectives of developing and making the land of Israel green."