Birthright Israel launches garden project for Druze town two years after Hezbollah strike

Two years after a Hezbollah attack claimed the lives of 12 children in Majdal Shams, the Birthright Israel Foundation is initiating a project to construct eight therapeutic gardens in the Druze town. The initiative aims to foster healing and strengthen ties between global Jewish communities and Israel.

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On October 8, 2023, we accepted the Jews and Israelis as our home. Now, the Jews finally accepted us.

Around 1,000 volunteers from the Birthright Israel Volunteer Program are expected to contribute to the garden construction. The project will see gardens established in four local educational institutions. Dolan Abu Saleh, Head of the Majdal Shams Municipality, expressed gratitude, stating that the volunteers' efforts signify a mutual acceptance between the Druze community and Israelis.

Elias Saratovsky, President and CEO of Birthright Israel Foundation, highlighted the project's significance in reinforcing the connection between world Jewry and Israel. He also mentioned the foundation's intention to bring tens of thousands more volunteers in the coming years, with a particular acknowledgment of the David and Meredith Kaplan Foundation's support for this endeavor.

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Every volunteer we send strengthens the bond between world Jewry and Israel.

The initiative comes after a memorial ceremony held in late July to remember the 12 children, aged 10 to 16, who were killed and 34 others wounded by a rocket fired from Lebanon on July 27, 2024. The gardens are intended to provide a space for healing and remembrance.

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Majdal Shams shows what that looks like on the ground, and we are grateful to the The David and Meredith Kaplan Foundation for making this project possible. We want to bring tens of thousands more volunteers over the next few years.