Jewish National Fund Sponsors Festival in Celebration of Tu B'shevat

Jewish National Fund
Monday, 8 January 2001

Mayor Manross and USDA Forest Service Officials Join in Celebration

January 8, 2001 – Phoeniz, AZ – Sunday, February 4, 2001 will mark Jewish National Fund's (JNF) second annual community-wide celebration of Tu B'Shevat, the traditional Jewish environmental holiday in celebration of trees. JNF's Tu B'Shevat Festival is being held at the Scottsdale Civic Center Amphitheater (75th & Main Streets) in Scottsdale, AZ from noon to 4:00 p.m. Sponsored by JNF, Tu B'Shevat is the New Year for Trees, and symbolizes the strong emphasis on ecology, environmentalism and conservation that JNF has traditionally championed.

"While last year's celebration was a great success with 2,000 attendees, this year's event is expected draw 4,000 area residents for a day of festivities. We have designed this to be an inclusive community-wide celebration of the environment, our tradition and Tu B'Shevat," says Steve Freidkin, event chair.

In honor of Tu B'Shevat, Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross will officiate at a tree planting ceremony at 2:00 p.m. joined by Hilda Diaz-Soltero, associate chief of natural resources of the USDA Forest Service. In keeping with tradition, a Tu B'Shevat Seder (ceremony) will be held marking the importance of the day and of the environment. Families are invited to take part in a full program of recreational activities including numerous musical performances, arts & crafts, a Blue Box Boom fundraising competition for local schools, free-throw shooting contests, volleyball and Israeli and Russian folk dancing.

The Fourth Annual Young Leadership "Walk for Israel" is being held in conjunction with the festival. A 5K walk along the Scottsdale Greenbelt is planned to raise money for JNF projects to combat the current water shortage in Israel.

All in attendance will have the opportunity to enjoy authentic Israeli food and sample Israeli wine, stop by the many informational booths on site and visit the historic photographic essay exhibit titled "Israel: The Land - The People." A highlight of the festivities will be musical performances headlined by popular Israeli recording artists Maya Haddi and Sharon Farber and in addition, the band Limelight will perform throughout the day.

"We believe this is a way for Jewish National Fund to encourage the community to capture the spirit of Tu B'Shevat and learn more about opportunities to make a difference in the environment through JNF and other organizations," says Burt Kruglick, president of JNF's Phoenix region. Throughout its 100 plus years of existence, JNF has planted over 210 million trees, built over 100 dams and reservoirs, developed over 250,000 acres of land and created more than 400 parks throughout Israel. "Israel is the only country in the world that is more heavily forested now than in 1900, and this is due mostly to JNF," adds Mr. Kruglick.

Major sponsors of the second annual Tu B'Shevat Festival are Bashas', USDA Forest Service, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Hadassah, Rustlers Rooste, Shell Alliance Marketing and Molina Fine Jewlers.

There is a $5.00 admission charge for adults. Teens and children are admitted free. Fees for the walk are separate. For more information and event times, contact Ted Kort at the Jewish National Fund Phoenix office at (602) 277-4800.

For more information, or to contact Jewish National Fund, see their website at: www.jnf.org