High-Flying Dream
Israeli ornithologist teams with JNF to build bridges
between American Jews and Israel.
Don Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
srael is well known for its histori-
caland religious sites as well as its
archaeology. But Dr. Yossi Leshem
wants you to know Israel is also one of
the top spots in the world for birds.
Leshem, an ornithologist and profes-
sor of zoology at Tel Aviv University,
is founder and director of the
International Center for the Study of
Bird Migration at Latrun on the Tel
Aviv-Jerusalem highway. The Jewish
National Fund brought him to Metro
Detroit July 22-24 to discuss what he's
been doing in partnership with the JNF
to promote eco-tourism, ecology, rela-
tions between American Jews and Israel,
and yes, even Mideast peace.
Leshem is well known for his 25 years
at the Israel Society for the Preservation
of Nature (SPNI), including serving as
its director. His pioneering work track-
ing birds has saved the lives of Israeli
pilots and millions of dollars by sharply
reducing collisions.
"It's all about food," Leshem says,
explaining that being located at the
intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa
means 500 million migrating birds pass
through Israel each spring and fall.
Already home to 260 species of birds,
the number doubles during the migra-
tions. This concentration and diversity
make Israel one of the top spots for bird
watching and study in the world.
Earlier this year, BBC Wildlife, a
British nature magazine, polled 300
experts from around the world to find
the top 20 sites for tourists to photo-
graph and observe nature; JNF's Hula
Lake Park in the northern Galilee was
ranked ninth in the world. Eco-tour-
ism to Israel provides an important
economic boost as well as promoting
understanding of the people and the
land aside from issues of war and peace.
Jim Hiller, president of the Michigan
Region JNF and owner of Hiller's
Markets, and his wife, Margie, estab-
lished the Hula Lake Park visitor center,
which attracts more than 300,000 visi-
tors, Israelis and foreigners alike.
"There are 100 million birders in the
Dr. Yossi Leshem among his beloved Israeli birds
world, and 64 million are in the States,"
Leshem says.
He cites an American poll that showed
that "birding" just passed hunting and
fishing to jump into third place among
American hobbyists, behind gardening
and sports.
Power Of Education
Leshem wants to encourage Americans
and others to visit Israel. His special
interest is for birding to build bridges
between American Jews and Israel: "As
an educator, I believe in the power of
education, and I think we are losing
our American Jews. Birds can have the
power to get youngsters, and others,
interested in the environment. Birding is
a platform to get them together."
Together with JNF, Leshem is piloting
a project use birding and Partnership
2000's trans-Atlantic ties to connect
Jewish youth in America and Israel.
The goal is to pair schools and provide
a curriculum encouraging cooperative
study and shared experiences. This will
build on programs that already include
400 Israeli schools — both Jewish
and Arab — that track bird migra-
tions online, and projects that bring
Palestinians, Jordanians and Israelis
together for study, education and pres-
ervation of the land and water.
"I have a vision of the peace process
in the Middle East that includes birds
bringing people together," he says, not-
ing that while other cooperative Arab-
Israelis projects have suffered because
of the conflict, the birding projects were
never halted.
While the progress made is real,
Leshem knows it will take more time to
realize his grand plans; but that is fine
with him. "I'm a marathon runner in my
vision and in my mind," he says with
conviction and a smile.
JNF is in it for the long haul, too.
"JNF spent its first 50 years buying
land, and its second 50 years developing
the land by planting over 240 million
trees, building infrastructure for hous-
ing, parks and recreation areas, and
helping settle immigrants from around
the world," says Yaron Tram, JNF's direc-
tor of the Michigan region.
"Now JNF is working toward sustain-
able development as its 21st century
goal — balancing the needs of the
people with the environment and its
historic mandate."
❑
Dr. Leshem will be greeting JNF's Bird
Watching & Photography Mission to Israel,
March 9-18, 2010. For more information,
visit www.jnf.org, www.teva.org.il and
www.ecotourism-israel.org .
August. 13- 2009
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