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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Stolen willows, purloined palm fronds 

According to Halacha (Jewish law), nothing stolen can be used at all for ritual uses, but that didn't stop some people seen over the Succot holidays sawing down aravot (willow) trees at the Aminadav Forest just outside Jerusalem and near Ein Kerem.

Willows are supposed to be beaten on the floor on Hoshana Rabba, the day before Simhat Torah.

Witnesses report seeing a bearded man wearing a large kippa sawing the willows. Next to him were two saws and big bags. He was heard saying into his cellphone that he was "cutting 400 more." There were reportedly aravot all over the ground next to him.

Others in the forest, seeing that the man cutting the willows was not being stopped, started cutting willows for their own use.

Contacted by The Jerusalem Post, representatives of Keren Kayemet LeYisrael (KKL) said cutting and removing the willows was indeed illegal and that they would send an inspector immediately. They implied that this was not the first time people had stolen willows and other trees from its forests.

KKL admitted on Wednesday it was hard to prevent people from stealing willow branches in the run-up to Succot. While inspectors are sent out in response to the public's complaints and go out on patrol, it is often hard to catch violators, since the branches are everywhere and perpetrators escape before inspectors arrive, KKL Law Enforcement Unit head Amikam Riklin told the Post.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017599710&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

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