Jerusalem Forest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jerusalem Forest is a pine forest located in the Judean Mountains west of Jerusalem. It is surrounded by the Jerusalem neighborhoods Beit HaKerem, Yefe Nof, Ein Kerem, Har Nof, Givat Shaul, and a moshav, Bet Zayit. The forest was planted during the 1950s by the Jewish National Fund, financed by private donors.
At its largest, the forest extended over about four thousand dunams (about 40,000 acres). Over the years, it has shrunk due to urban expansion and today, it covers about 1,200 dunams. The Yad Vashem museum is located in the forest near Mount Herzl. In the middle of the forest, between Yad Vashem and Ein Kerem, there is a recreation center, the "Chaim Tzippori Guest House," (better known as the "Tzippori Center") which has a hotel and youth hostel.
[edit] Attempts to protect the forest
Projects by the Jerusalem Municipality threaten the continued existence of the forest, which causes concern among environmental organizations and residents of Jerusalem, especially those living in the nearby neighborhoods. At the end of the 1990s, environmental organizations and residents organized to fight for the the future of the forest and its protection.
