Forest of many roots. Navigating memory and institutional efforts

This chapter examines the rise of tree planting and forests as a method of commemoration in the developing memory culture of the Yishuv in pre-state Palestine. Their case illustrates the negotiation of various elements in the formation of a new Hebrew culture, encompassing not only the hegemonic Zionist narrative of land redemption but also aspects of traditional Jewish customs, adaptations of European concepts, individual immigrant experiences, and above all – institutional considerations. The pre-state development of this practice is shown through examples of collective and individual commemorations, as well as the mechanism of their creation. Memorial planting was never a separate endeavour but one of the manifestations of broader Jewish afforestation in Palestine and subsequently the state of Israel. As such, it is examined as an element of power over the territory, its communities, and the environment.