Friends of Israel Educational Foundation's Horticultural Placements in Israel
Israel is a botanic marvel. Standing at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe the country, which is no bigger in size than Wales, offers extremes of climate and physical geography reflecting both the northern and southern halves of this planet. A treasure trove of over 3,000 plants flourish in the area.
In the ancient city of Jerusalem a new Botanic Garden is taking shape in a 60 acre site in the grounds of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Two thirds of the Garden has already been laid out; and in the climatic conditions of Jerusalem most plants root well. Clearly many of the species on display cannot be grown with ease in the UK. However preparation and maintenance of the site is an arduous and labour-intensive operation and the Gardens are terribly understaffed and under-resourced.
In association with the Jerusalem Botanic Garden, F.O.I. offers two botanic programmes in Israel.
- Long-term placements for professionally trained horticulturalists and gardeners
- A programme of self-funding, Working Holidays, in the Gardens
1. LONG-TERM PLACEMENTS
F.O.I. and the British Friends of the Jerusalem Botanic Gardens offer placements in Jerusalem from late Summer each year. Each award is for a six to twelve months period.
We are looking for postgraduates with sound skills in botany and horticulture. Landscape architects with practical, hands-on plant skills are also eligible.
Our award winners therefore make a huge contribution to the project.
The annual Awards programme covers -
- Return air passage to Israel
- Subsidized accommodation in the vicinity of the Hebrew University campus
- A subsistence allowance which covers the full placement. Participants receive no formal salary.
- There are opportunities to travel around the country studying the flora and collecting plant species.
Entry Conditions - All applicants must submit :
- A personal c.v.
- An academic letter of reference
- A statement of reasons for wishing to work in Jerusalem
- 2 passport-size photographs
- A covering letter written by hand, not typed or word-processed
- All applications must be submitted by June 1 each year.
- Preference is given to permanent residents of the U.K.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
The Jerusalem Botanic Garden programme started in 1984.
Dozens of selected candidates have worked in Jerusalem, most have established themselves in the field of horticulture - or landscape architecture. Here are a few success stories:
- Peter Clarke - Jerusalem ‘84-5:
- Head of Gardens, Ham House, Richmond, Surrey
- Andrew Jackson ‘86-7:
- Head of Wakehurst (Kew)
- George Mercer '88:
- Landscape architect, California
- Dan Pearson '88:
- Writer, TV presenter & gardening columnist. Top landscape architect, wins gold medals at Chelsea and elsewhere.
- Tim Upson ’89:
- Superintendent, University of Cambridge Botanic Garden
- Russell Forbes '91:
- Supervisor for landscape construction company in New South Wales, Australia
- Mark Poswillo ’93:
- Head Gardener, Chelsea Physic Garden
- Wolfgang Bopp ’95:
- Curator, Harold Hillier Gardens & Arboretum
- Harvey Stephens ’96:
- Head Gardener, Borde Hill Gardens, Sussex
- Markus Radsheit ’96:
- Technical Manager, University of Bonn Botanic Garden, Germany
- Andrew Osborne ‘96-7:
- Parks Technical Officer for Parks and Open Space Dept, Poole Borough Council
- Anthony O’Rourke ’96-7:
- After working at Kew, returned to staff of Jerusalem Botanic Gardens, in charge of greenhouses
- Azra Secerbegovic ’97:
- European Sales Manager, Agrexco-UK, Hayes, Middlesex
- Gabrielle Rosenfield ’97:
- Head Gardener restoring, developing and extending gardens at Hunstrete House Hotel, near Bath
- Greg Mullins ’98:
- Horticultural Officer, Marrinup Nursery, Alcoa Ltd, Perth, Western Australia
- Eamonn Byrne ’99:
- MA Landscape Architecture degree
- Claudia Heidieker ‘00:
- Horticultural translator and consultancy company
- James Stevenson ‘01:
- Superintendent of Botanical Collections, Oxford University Botanic Garden
- Marcella Corcoran ’04:
- On the staff at Kew
2. WORKING HOLIDAYS IN THE JERUSALEM BOTANIC GARDEN
In March 1990, F.O.I. organised the first Working Holiday in the J.B.G.
The Trust orchestrates a frenetically busy two-week working holiday in Jerusalem each Spring.
Nine full working days are spent in the Gardens and F.O.I. organises four days of travel and sight-seeing - in and around Jerusalem, in the Desert South, and in the North of Israel. (This is our token of thanks to all participants for their enthusiastic involvement in the J.B.G. project.)
A working day usually lasts from 7.00 am to 1.00 pm. Participants have to be robust and in good health to cope with the rigours of the work and the heat. There is no age bar however. The age span of past groups has ranged from 19 to 77.
Amateur gardeners as well as trained professionals are equally welcome on the programme.
JBG18 volunteers spent two weeks working in the Garden in March 2005. Their leader, Alan Martin writes:
A PERSONAL SNAPSHOT OF JBG 18
As the 18 members of the group assembled at the El Al desk at Heathrow Airport we quickly established identities and started to get to know one another. After an uneventful flight we arrived at the impressive new Tel Aviv Airport. We were welcomed by Chief Scientist Ori Fragman and his wife and given details of our itinerary for our first two days.
We settled into the Reich Hotel (where everyone was extremely helpful) and on Friday 18th March we were given an informative tour of many of the historic places in the Old City of Jerusalem. Highlights included the Holy Sepulchre and the underground water systems to the south of the Old City recently excavated beyond the Warren Shaft.
Later that evening we were entertained to a ‘welcome’ meal at the Reich given by the local ‘Friends’ of the Botanical Gardens led by Rivka Dagan-Behiri, and where the group were introduced toYitzak Ayalon, Michael Avishai, Ori Fragman, Sigal and a number of other garden staff.
On Saturday 19th March under the guidance of Ori we travelled to the Negev Desert where we visited many locations in the Arad/Dimona/Yeroham areas to see sites containing rare localised wild flowers. We were also introduced to the startling topography of the Machtesh Gadol Crater.
On Sunday 20th March we finally arrived at the Botanical Gardens to get down to business and after meeting head gardener Sigal we were divided into groups to get to grips with tasks in the South African and European Sections. At the end of the day Ori gave the group a guided tour of parts of the garden areas and some of the history of the garden.
It was encouraging to see improvements since 2001 including the train for customers, increased areas of colourful bedding schemes and the new tropical house additions under construction.
Throughout the first week a large new rockery garden was created adjacent to the restaurant and a number of areas in the two sections were weeded, cleared and planted with annual/perennial plants. We also started to prune the neglected trees in the Asian Section. This was aided by the fine weather that was still not too hot. During the afternoons and evenings members split into smaller groups to visit places of interest in and around the ‘Old City’ and on one afternoon guide Zel Lederman gave us all a tour of the tunnels adjacent to the Western Wall, with much of the history of Herodian times.
On Friday 25th March we were taken on a tour to the south of the country which included a visit to Masada, Ein Gedi Botanical Garden (a guided tour from an unforgettable ‘character’ named Charlie) and then on to the Ein Gedi Resort for a swim in the Dead Sea, mud bath and dip in a mineral pool.
On Saturday 26th March we travelled north with former Chief Curator and Chief Scientist Michael Avishai. Michael showed us around the Ramat Hanadiv Garden on Mount Carmel and also some countryside sites where specific wildflowers could be identified. We then went on to historic Caeserea and Haifa where Michael had arranged for Andrew of the Bahai Gardens to give us an in-depth tour. The spectacular nature of this garden was a highlight for me as the hillside part was not open to the public on my last visit just over 4 years ago. Whilst of a formal nature and therefore not to everyone’s taste, the group were nevertheless very impressed with the sheer effort that had gone into the Garden’s construction and the care taken over its appearance.
Sunday 27th March was Easter Sunday so that many of the group visited churches and holy sites for the seasonal services whilst a few worked in the Garden. This festival coincided with Purim with which many of the permanent garden staff were engaged and it was intriguing for new visitors to Israel to see the locals ‘let their hair down’.
The second week seemed to fly by with more areas being weeded, planted and pruned and it was very satisfying for the groups to see the results of their labours. The positive comments received from Israelis who were visiting the Garden was very encouraging and helped to give ‘job satisfaction’.
The after-hours activities continued and various members visited the new Yad Vashem Memorial additions, ‘En Kerem, places in and around the Old City and Bethlehem. In addition Michael Avishai gave the group an evening presentation with slides on the history of the Botanical Garden.
On the final day Sarah Giladi gave the group a tour of the Tropical House and the Orchid House. This was welcomed not only from the interest point of view but also because by now the hot weather was beginning to tell on a few individuals.
On the final evening a ‘farewell dinner’ was again organised by the local ‘Friends’ but this time in the restaurant within the Garden. This was a very happy occasion where many kind remarks were made about the work carried out by the group. We in turn expressed our appreciation for the warm welcome we had received and apologised for our inability to take up all the kind invitations we received to local hospitality.
My wife Sylvia and I had made a number of friends during our 8 months in Jerusalem in 2000/2001 and it was wonderful to be re-acquainted and share personal stories of our last four years.
It was also very satisfying from our point of view to see how well the group gelled together in spite of diverse age ranges. This was very apparent from the happy bantering atmosphere, despite the fact that everyone was working extremely hard. We were touched when the group donated approximately £45 to a charity (St John Eye Hospital, Jerusalem) for which Sylvia is the fundraiser in Hampshire.
After a break of four years we hope that this working holiday will act as a catalyst for many more in the future.
The next Working Holiday - JBG20 - will be from 15 - 29 March 2007. Further information from: