MOSHAV HAYOGEV, Israel—The row upon row of pristine olive trees that line the green farmland in this northern Israeli village stretch as far as the eye can see.
Olive trees flourish at the agricultural village at Hayogev (meaning “farmer” in Hebrew), located a few miles west of Afula and near the biblical site of Megiddo. But it is the personal connections to hundreds of people around the world that make the grove a sight to see.
There is a tree named for U.S. President Donald Trump; one for Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and current U.S. ambassador-designate to Israel; and another for Dr. Miriam Adelson, the Israeli-American philanthropist, physician and Trump mega-donor.
But it’s not all VIPs. Most trees are named for individuals from North America or synagogues such as Temple Judea of Palm Beach, Fla. One is in memory of Sgt. Reef Harush, 20, an Israeli soldier killed in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Indeed, the trees here have all been “adopted” by individuals through an Israeli company called My Tree in Israel, which sends them a yearly shipment of olive oil produced from their tree. The initiative offers people around the world a direct connection to the land of Israel and the Israeli farmers who work it.
“We are connecting supporters of Israel—Jews and Christians alike—to Israel through a very personal and unique way,” said Kobi Assaf, founder and director of My Tree in Israel.
He started the company six years ago with the double goals of assisting Israeli farmers and spreading their goods abroad.
A friend of the Huckabees who heard about the venture connected the former governor, who visited the agricultural community during a trip to Israel in 2022 and not only got a tree but invited the heads of the Israeli organization on his TV program.
To date, the company has some 1,500 clients, about 60% of whom are from the North American Jewish community and 40% from the evangelical Christian community.
Many of those who have adopted trees visit them while they are in Israel. (Annual membership costs $250, which includes six 750-ml/25-oz. bottles of Israeli olive oil procured by the tree and sent by FedEx every December right after the November harvest.)
“It really warms the heart to see people coming here out of nowhere from the other side of the globe,” said Israeli farmer Itamar Zielas, who works in the olive grove. “It gives you a huge boost.”
The farmer, who served 150 days of military reserve duty fighting against Hamas in Gaza, noted that his job hadn’t stopped because of the war.
While donating money to plant trees in Israel has been a quintessential landmark of the Jewish National Fund for more than a century, since before the creation of the State of Israel, this project aims to take it to a new, personal level, one in keeping with 21st-century donors’ “see what you’re funding” goals.
“We’ve all heard about the amazing organizations that have been around forever that give you the opportunities to plant trees in Israel, but this is taking it a step further,” said Yishai Gelb, deputy director of My Tree in Israel. “When was the last time you were able to visit the tree you planted in Israel?”
In the meantime, the company has also branched out to include wine and whiskey among its offerings, still sticking to the fruits of Israel even as the olive oil remains their forte.
“We are creating a legacy for generations to come,” said Assaf.
