Hadassah members donate fire truck to Israel’s scorched north
Members of Hadassah’s national board at a ceremony
marking the donation of a state-of-the-art fire truck to the
Jewish National Fund in Israel are, from left, Barbara Fleisher
of Little Silver, past president of Hadassah’s Southern NJ
Region; Shelley Kaplan of Ocean Township, region president;
Aimee Ostrov of Long Branch, past region president; and Ellyn
Lyons of Toms River, past region president.
Photo courtesy Hadassah
The national board of Hadassah, including three members from Monmouth County, presented a new, state-of-the-art fire truck to the Jewish National Fund during a visit to Jerusalem last month.
The truck, which cost approximately $250,000, was custom-designed to meet the needs of Israel’s northern terrain, where fires sparked by Hizbullah rockets devastated thousands of acres of forest last summer.
Taking part in the Jan. 22 presentation to JNF officials were Barbara Fleisher of Little Silver, past president of Hadassah’s Southern New Jersey Region; Shelley Kaplan of Ocean Township, southern region president; and Aimee Ostrov of Long Branch, past region president.
Hadassah began raising money for its Israel Emergency Solidarity Campaign at its national convention in July 2006. Within several months, more than $2 million was donated, according to Fleisher, who is also the national fund-raising communication chair.
After learning that most Israeli fire trucks could not carry enough water in their tanks to adequately battle the forest fires that had been ignited by the Hizbullah rockets, the national board, along with regional and local chapters, pledged to allot emergency campaign donations toward the purchase of the newly designed truck, said Fleisher.
The truck is now housed at a fire station in Israel’s northern region, said Kaplan.
The truck is tall and narrow, which will allow it to better navigate through rows of trees, and can carry three tons of water and fire-fighting foam. The double-sized cabin allows seven fire fighters in full gear to travel in relative comfort. It is equipped with four-wheel drive and can quickly maneuver through narrow country lanes and difficult ground.
“Hadassah’s 95 years of practical Zionism came into play when we dedicated the fire truck,” Kaplan said. “Although we dedicated this incredible fire truck, I hope that we will not have to put it to use and that we do not witness such devastation to our forests again.”
During their visit, Hadassah’s region presidents participated in the reforestation of Israel’s northern region by planting trees in the Biriya Forest, which is near the Lebanon border.
“The devastation of the matured forests was incomprehensible and so very sad,” said Kaplan. “During our visit, burnt trees were being cleared, and the land was being prepared for the influx of Israelis that were expected to come north and help plant trees for the Tu B’Shevat holiday.”
While in Israel, the Hadassah group also visited Hadassah College in Jerusalem; Hadassah University Hospital at Mount Scopus and the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem; Hadassah’s Neurim Youth Aliyah Village, which is located near Netanya; the new Judaean Youth Hostel and the Beit Ar-El Center for Young Judaea in Jerusalem; and the Hadassah Meir Shfeyah Youth Village near Zichron Ya’acov.
While visiting Sderot on the border of Gaza, the group saw damage to the fields that was caused by the Kassam rockets that landed there last summer. Money from the group’s Israel Emergency Solidarity Campaign was donated to the town to enable it to bring in outside medical help for children who are still living in fear as a result of last summer’s hostilities, Kaplan said.
“This trip reaffirmed my commitment to the Jewish people, Israel, and Hadassah,” she said. “I hope to return to Israel in the near future, visit the North, and gaze out over growing forests.”
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