FOLLOW US
Service Programs
Youth Care for Jerusalem's Historic Hansen Garden
Written by Valentina Jordan, Youth Federation for World Peace-Israel
Friday, December 24, 2010
Jerusalem, Israel - Since 2008, members of the Youth Federation for World Peace in Jerusalem have been volunteering to keep the historic Hansen Garden in Jerusalem alive through planting, maintaining, digging, and preservation old cisterns, windows, and so on. This December 24, 2010, we once again planted different types of flowers to beautify the garden with freesia, cyclamen, iris, and much more.
We were happy to see that our efforts from last year's planting finally bore fruit. We could appreciate the beauty of the cyclamen that sprouted after only two days of rain in the whole rainy season in Israel, the cistern that we reinforced with volunteers from abroad, and the digging site.
The Hansen Garden used to be the Hansen Hospital for Lepers, more accurately Hansen's disease, not leprosy. It was built in 1887 and it closed on 1980. Since then the hospital remained as a historical site. The Ministry of Health granted permission in September 2003 to cultivate the gardens, and the Jerusalem branch of the Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNI) was chosen to oversee the project.
We hope to continue our ongoing collaboration with the garden and to keep it alive for others to see it and for them to admire God's creation. Our inspiration in part comes from the novel by the English author Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden.
Note: The garden includes two acres of stone terraces, water cisterns, and a variety of flora and fauna, including trees over 130 years old. Built on what was then the outskirts of Jerusalem, it is now in the affluent neighborhood of Talbiya. The Hansen Garden is one of Jerusalem's approximately 1,400 parks and gardens.
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |
Related Articles
Sri Lanka
UPF-Sri Lanka Commemorates UN International Youth Day
Illukkumbura, Sri Lanka—UPF and RYS, in partnership with IAYSP, organized a weeklong youth leadership project.
Russia
UPF Teaches Russians How to Go Green
Voronezh, Russia—About 1,000 people have learned to “make green decisions” by playing a game.
United Kingdom
UPF-UK Visits Hindu Youth Summer Camp
Birmingham, United Kingdom—UPF spoke to around 120 Hindu youths about interfaith and peace activities.