Tu B’Shvat, the holiday of the Trees which was just celebrated, took on a great new meaning as hundreds of people from all walks of life planted trees in memory of Ezra Schwartz in the newly established Ezra Schwartz Vineyard in Israel.
Schwartz was the young American Yeshiva student from Sharon, MA who was tragically murdered while learning and volunteering in Israel, and the newly created vineyard has the complete endorsement and blessing of his parents.
The moving, one minute video on the website www.trees4ezra.org shows Schwartz’s parents and grandparents talking about the Vineyard and shows them planting its first trees. They encourage others to plant trees as a meaningful and supportive gesture with their hope that the Vineyard will become a beautiful and everlasting tribute to the young man they lost.
People from across the world are being asked to plant trees in this special vineyard at www.trees4ezra.org. Schwartz was proud of his heritage and his land, and loved his fellow Jews, literally until his last breath. This project is a way for everyone to join the Schwartz family in carrying on their son’s legacy.
Schools across the world have joined the effort and are sharing this opportunity with their students. Temple, shuls, synagogues, houses of worship and religious and communal organizations have also recognized that people want to be part of this important initiative and have opened up the opportunity to their members.
Among the many schools which are involved include the North Shore Hebrew Academy, which has students from the Roslyn area.
Visit www.trees4ezra.org and plant trees in the new Ezra Schwartz Vineyard. Israeli farmers will plant and care for the trees and the vineyard can be visited by anyone at any time.
For more information or to have your school or shul involved, contact shelley@trees4ezra.org or call 516-371-2474.
