United Synagogue want to celebrate Queen’s jubilee by seeing the wood for the trees

Call it turning over a new leaf, or branching out, but the United Synagogue wants you to help plant the UK’s first Jewish forest.

It’s the ultimate altruistic act – planting a tree whose shade you know you’ll never sit under.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis wants members to safeguard the planet’s future by contributing to the project in Norfolk – and to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Trees for the first communal Jewish forest can be bought online via the United Synagogue website – you do literally need to log on.

They will be planted and maintained by the Woodland Trust. Each tree is £20 – and if a community collectively buys more than 750 trees, they will be planted together in a dedicated grove.

The Chief Rabbi said: “Planting trees goes to the heart of what our Dorot projects are about. Unlike other changes we can make for the sake of the environment, where the onus is on refraining from doing something, this is a positive way to take action for the future. Whether you wish to mark a simcha, commemorate a loss or express your gratitude to the Queen, planting a tree is an environmentally conscious act from which we all benefit.”

Naomi Verber, the United Synagogue’s Head of Environmental Policy, said: “This project will honour the Queen and create a lasting legacy. Trees can make great thank-you presents and can be a meaningful memorial to remember a loved one.”

‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ is the latest project from Dorot, the ambitious environmental initiative launched by the Office of the Chief Rabbi and the United Synagogue earlier this year.

The charity aims to plant some 37,000 trees over three years – one for every adult member of the United Synagogue.

Eithne Tynan, Woodland Trust’s Regional Development Officer, South East, said: “We are delighted to be working with the United Synagogue and the Office of the Chief Rabbi on this important initiative. Native woods and trees are one of the best ways to tackle the climate crisis: they lock up carbon, reduce pollution and flooding, and support people, wildlife and livestock in adapting to the impacts of climate change. Along with improving our quality of life, trees can help to make us physically healthier and improve our mental wellbeing. We can’t wait to welcome the Jewish community to visit the woods they have helped create in beautiful Norfolk.”

Trees can be bought now via www.theus.org.uk/trees – further details available at trees@theus.org.uk.