Sheila F. Segal

Summary: This is a book about a young boy names Josh who learned about his Great Aunt Rivkin and all of the hard work that she contributed when settling into Israel. She helped transform this land for her family and many generations of families to come after hers. Joshua really feels all of the love put into the land by his grandmother when he is able to plant a tree in Israel in remembrance of his people.

Personal connection: I always took an interest in planting a tree in Israel and thought that students would find this to be interesting to see how they relate to the children in a country that is so different than their own. This would be a nice personal touch to my inquiry project.

Class use: This is a very important project that the Jewish National Fund helps fund because Israel is not blessed with natural forests. These trees are important because they allow for an area of recreation for kids to play on and often produce delicious fruits that the people living in Israel enjoy daily. Have students discuss how important it is to preserve the Earth and the importance that nature has to the people of Israel.… (meer)

A mother tells her young son (both living in the Diaspora, presumably in the US) about his Great-Aunt Rivka, who was a Zionist in the early 20th century. The boy, inspired by Aunt Rivka's heroic work to make the desert bloom, plants a tree himself there the first time the family visits Israel. The book is illustrated with pencil sketches. Except on the last page; that has a black-and-white photograph showing a young boy planting a tree. This makes me believe that the story is based on the author and her son. It teaches about family connections/values, and the importance of making the world (in this case the desert) a better place. What's not to like?… (meer)