There was a special Hanukah celebration last Friday at Oz veGaon. For the first time, the Jewish National Fund came for an activity at Oz veGaon!

You could sense the celebratory atmosphere as soon as you entered the preserve. The JNF flags that were waving in the winter wind with the warm sun overhead and songs of the Land of Israel in the background welcomed the hundreds of people who arrived for a day of enjoyable and meaningful experiences.

Parents and children streamed into the preserve the entire day and enjoyed the pita baking workshops, the petting corner, the omega (zip line), pottery making and, of course, inflatable play equipment.

The heads of the JNF Maof program talked in a small ceremony and promised to adopt Oz veGaon.

Earlier in the morning there was a festive musical prayer session that ended with warm, sweet Hanukah sufganiot (donuts). A special Hanukah lecture was given to by Rav Shmuel Dinowitz on the meaning of the holiday in the synagogue at the preserve, which was filled to capacity with our loyal Women in Green members who come every week to Oz veGaon.

Towards the afternoon, as is appropriate for the JNF, hundreds of seedlings were planted throughout the preserve. The mud resulting from the recent, welcome rains added a special quality to the atmosphere. There were many visitors, city dwellers who hadn’t seen mud since their childhood. Suddenly they felt that they had returned to the old Land of Israel and they sensed the important significance of holding on to the Land of Israel.

Thanks to the JNF for adopting Oz veGaon in its physical and educational aspects.

Thanks to the local Gush Etsion council, to the field school, to the Gush Etsion Matnas and to Elyashiv Kimhi, who produced the event with the help of all of the relevant bodies.

Continue to follow the activity at Oz veGaon and join us!

For photos: http://womeningreen.org/hanukka-event-at-oz-vegaon/