Uruguay Pastor Raises Money To Plant 1,000 Trees In Israel
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — An evangelical Christian pastor from Uruguay fulfilled his promise to plant 1,000 trees in the Jewish state.
One year ago, after planting a tree with the Keren Kayemet Leisrael organization while on a visit to Israel with a group of Latin American pastors, Jorge Marquez vowed to raise the money to plant 1,000 trees. He returned on Sept. 14, reported Latin American news AJN website on Tuesday.
Together with almost two dozen members of his congregation, Marquez planted the trees at the KKL planting center in Tzorah after they recited a Planters’ Prayer together. The Argentine-born clergyman moved to Uruguay in 1991, where he founded the Life Mission to the Nations church.
“What an honor it is to plant a tree here, in God’s chosen land,” said Sonia Tomeo, a member of the group, as she planted her tree. “To be able to plant a tree here is a privilege. I hope God will allow me to return here. God prophesied that he would make the desert bloom.”
Roni Kaplan, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Communications Advisor for Latin America and founder of “Huellas del Cielo,” which brings Evangelical Christian groups to Israel, also greeted the group, “May you realize many blessings here, and may you always be in the position of being able to give to others.”
Márquez promised to plant another 1,000 trees in Israel next year.
In March, Uruguayan Jews paid tribute to the memory of David Fremd, who was stabbed to death by a Muslim convert one year before in the small town of Paysandu. The 55-year-old businessman was stabbed in the back 10 times by the killer, who reportedly yelled “God is great” in Arabic. Later the killer declared that he “followed Allah’s order.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
