Israeli official joins park ceremony for Jewish holiday

The Consul General of Israel and local leaders recently planted a tree in Fort Lauderdale’sHoliday Park in observance ofTu B’Shevat, a Jewish holiday knownas the new year for trees.

“While this is a small symbolic gesture, it hopefully represents the planting of new relationships thatwe’ll have,” said Fort LauderdaleVice Mayor DeanTrantalis.

Fort Lauderdale officials said the tree planting ceremony is the first time in the city’s history that a consul general has participated in a public observance of the holiday.

LiorHaiat, the Consul General of Israel, explainedTu B’Shevat symbolizes the “process, not the result.” The observance takes place in winter when the trees are bare, yet still hold the promise of yielding fruit.

“This time of year, the process that ends in the summer with fruit, leaves and blossoms starts,” Haiat said.

“The tree thatwe plant today is the beginning of the process. ... It is also the fruit of an amazing friendship between Fort Lauderdale and the state of Israel, the city ofHaifa and our consulates here in Florida,” Haiat said.

Israel’s northern city ofHaifa is one of Fort Lauderdale’s sister cities. Both are busy ports.

“Another point that connects us together and unites us is thewar against terrorism. Terrorists seek violence and death. We’re seeking hope and growth and life. This is exactly whatTu B’Shevat is about,” Haiat said.

Mayor Jack Seiler said that while a vast ocean separates our communities, “it is a very smallworld. We share so much in common. ... We’re not going to let terror and hatred divide us.”

The unusual tree, a flowering Jerusalem Thorn with wispy leaves crowned with soft spikes, is planted in the median adjacent to the park’s gymnasium, ball fields and tennis courts.

As families visit the park for sporting events, Seiler said, he hopes the tree will spark conversations between children and their parents.

“They will be able to them that the tree is a symbol of strength, the tree is a symbol of peace and that tree is a symbol of unity between theUnited States, Israel and the Jewish community here and abroad.”

hwolt@tronc.com or Twitter@HelenWolt