Over 1,400 bereaved families gathered last week to plant trees in memory of their loved ones at the newly established Iron Swords Forest, which spans 367 dunams (approximately 90 acres).
Established last October by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) at Khirbet Mador, near the Re’im Recreation Area, the forest is Israel’s largest memorial dedicated to those murdered and the fallen in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and the ensuing war.
Among the participants was Vered Libstein of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who lost four family members in the Oct. 7 attack, including her husband, Ofir Libstein, the beloved head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council; her son Nitzan; her mother; and her nephew.
During the event, which coincided with Tu B’Shevat, the “Jewish New Year for Trees,” more than 1,800 trees were planted, each accompanied by a QR code linking to a song chosen by the family, which can be scanned and listened to on site as a personal tribute to the memory of each of the fallen.
“The plantings today in the Iron Swords Forest express KKL-JNF’s deep commitment to regrow this beautiful region: in infrastructure, environmental development, education, and community,” said Eyal Ostrinsky, chairman of KKL-JNF.
"[The] families are coming here to plant the legacy of their loved ones in the soil, an act that symbolizes more than anything the life that was here and will continue to be here,” he added.
