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B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
DECEMBER 2, 2021
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
The Beauty and Mystery of Israel’s Olives
The Founder of Galilee Green, an Olive Oil Company, Shares His Story BY RABBI SHMUEL VEFFER, AS TOLD TO SARA LIEBERMAN
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ost people know me as the inventor of the Kosher Lamp and founder of Kosher Innovations. In 2009, I sold Kosher Innovations to my partner and moved back to Israel. Eventually, I settled in the Moshava (village) of Yavne’el in the Galilee, southwest of Tiveria. On a balmy day in November 2013, my neighbor invited me to harvest some olives from the trees on our shul’s property. We picked armfuls of green, fragrant olives all day, and some local children helped us. We drove 15 minutes to the nearby Kibbutz Degania to press the olives. They were so helpful and kind. It was close to midnight when we returned to Yavne’el with jerry cans filled with oil. The local rav came over and helped us take trumos and maaseros – it’s a mitzvah d’oraisa to take tithes on olive oil. Then we tasted the most incredible olive oil ever! It was light, fruity, and fragrant, with just the right balance of tart and sweet. The oil was so pure and exquisite I knew we needed to share the wealth, so I founded an olive oil company, Galilee Green. My background was in kiruv and marketing, therefore I worked out an arrangement with nearby Kibbutz Degania. They provided us with olive oil made from their own groves, and we did the marketing. The olive trees are located on the portion of land that was allotted to the tribe of Naftali. The strength of the
harvest is directly intertwined with prophecies and blessings from the Torah. Naftali’s bracha was: “Naftali is a deer let loose: he gives goodly words” (Bereishis 49:21). Rashi elucidates that this refers to the Ginosar valley in Naftali’s portion. Similarly to the natural grace and alacrity of the deer, the fertile land in this region will ripen exceedingly fast. Naftali’s bracha embraces most fruits, and farmers plant whatever crop proves most rewarding. In the early days of Israel, citrus and cotton were commonly grown. Currently, many farmers consider mangos to be a lucrative crop. The blessing holds true today, as the eye can behold the flourishing, fertile crops thriving in the Lower Galilee. The bountiful growth of this region of Eretz Yisroel sends a powerful message. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) states that Mashiach is near when the prophecy of Yechezkel comes true. “But ye mountains of Yisrael ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Yisrael; for they are at hand to come” (Ezekiel 36:8).
In a manner that transcends nature, the relationship between the Jews and the land of Israel is so powerful that, according to the prophecy, the land was to remain barren until the Jews returned, at which point it was to give forth abundant fruit. And this is indeed what has happened in recent history. I merited to see Yaakov’s bracha come true in my own backyard! When I harvested my date tree, I was shocked to see the sheer amount of fruit this one tree bore. There was 440 pounds of fruit! This was more than enough for me and my family for an entire year. Similarly, our olive oil is among the highest quality and tastiest extra virgin olive oil around. It is an exceptional product, and our customers are discerning and know their olive oil. Over 80 percent of our customers are non-Jewish supporters of Israel in the U.S. and Canada. We sell via our website, to countries around the world, including New Zealand, Norway, Alaska, and Australia.
