The life of a farmer is never easy. They are constantly at the mercy of Mother Nature. Will it rain? Will high temperatures ruin the crops? Can they keep insects away? In Israel, however, farming is even more challenging, especially for those living near the Gaza border, where they face not only the elements, but also neighbors who literally want to kill them.

Alon Gotliv, a farmer near Kerem Shalom, a kibbutz located by the borders of the Gaza Strip, Israel and Egypt, experienced this danger firsthand. On Oct. 7, one of his workers was murdered by Hamas. Another worker, a man from Thailand, survived by hiding in a greenhouse.

“We found him after two days. He was completely covered in red tomato sauce,” Gotliv recalled. After being rescued and cleaned up, the worker immediately left Israel, joining other Thai laborers who returned to Thailand.

“They all came back after two to three months, bit by bit. Every 20 days, another worker came back, but in the meantime, we needed workers, and there were none,” Gotliv said.

Gotliv farms citrons, clementines and avocados on 50 acres, producing about 70,000 citrons annually. For the first few weeks following the attack, no one was allowed to return to the fields. When the restrictions were lifted, Gotliv, like many other farmers, found himself without workers. But something remarkable happened: People from across Israel volunteered to help. They weren’t experienced farmhands — they were doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, beauty queens — people from all walks of life.

“It was incredible. I had never met these people, but they came from all over Israel,” Gotliv said. “One volunteer, a senior cardiologist, came to pick etrogs (citrons) and got all scratched up because the tree has very sharp thorns. The volunteers were a tremendous help, but they weren’t skilled workers. One tried to prune a tree and accidentally cut it down entirely. Still, I was deeply grateful. They saved me.”

“It was incredible. I had never met these people, but they came from all over Israel.” – Alon Gotliv

Once the workers from Thailand returned, Gotliv had to move quickly to prepare his produce for shipment. To support him and other farmers like him, Rabbi Mickey Katzburg, founder of The World Center for Jewish Education, launched the Chessed Etrog Project.

According to their website, “Each year, we select a deserving cause to receive the proceeds of our project. We handle the marketing and logistics, allowing the recipient to continue their hard work of serving the community. This year, we are proud to support the farmers of the Gaza Periphery who have been severely impacted by the events of this past year.”

Rabbi Katzburg added, “We wanted to offer added value. We reached out to Jewish organizations in the USA and the U.K., inviting them to join the project. All funds collected go directly to benefit the selected cause.”

The first project provided food for children. Another helped families forced to evacuate their homes after the war. Early in the year, the organization approached Gotliv and invited him to participate in their current initiative. They have since contacted synagogues, Jewish schools, JCCs and Jewish organizations, encouraging them to purchase citrons from Israel. So far, they’ve sold 5,000 in the U.S., but they hope to sell many more.

In the San Fernando Valley, Chani Saelman helps with local operations and connects buyers with the project. Individuals are also welcome to purchase citrons to use in their sukkah.

The citron (etrog) is one of the four species used during Sukkot, along with the myrtle (hadas), tall palm (lulav), and willow (aravah). There are many interpretations of why these specific species were chosen. One popular explanation is that they represent different parts of the human body: the palm symbolizes the spine, the myrtle the eyes, the willow the lips and the citron the heart. By bringing them together, worshippers demonstrate their intention to unite all parts of themselves in the service of God.

The etrog, which has a lemony taste and fragrance, represents a pious and learned Jew who combines knowledge with good deeds. The lulav, which has a pleasant taste but no fragrance, symbolizes someone who studies Torah but is less active in performing good deeds. The myrtle, with its pleasant fragrance but lack of taste, represents those who do good deeds but do not engage in Torah study. Finally, the willow, lacking both taste and fragrance, symbolizes those who neither study Torah nor perform good deeds.

“There’s something special about the four species,” said Gotliv. “This project gives us strength and an opportunity not only to fulfill a mitzvah, a good deed, but also to unite us as a community. What I witnessed in the months after Oct. 7 was so heartwarming. I will be forever grateful for all those who came to help and all those Jews abroad who purchase our citrons and participate in the Chessed Etrog Project.”

To order citrons and help Israeli farmers, visit

https://jewisheducation.net/chessed-etrog.

Etrog jam

So, what do you do with the citron after Sukkot? There are many things you can make usingcitron, from citron tea to candies.

Here is a recipe for Citron Jam:

Materials:

2 citrons cut into cubes

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

14oz of sugar

Preparation:

Put the citrons in a pot with boiling water.

Bring to a boil and filter about seven times.

Then return the citrons to the pot, add the sugar, cinnamon and anise and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Lower the heat and cook for about an hour and a half on low heat.

Allow your preserve to cool and transfer it some glass jars and keep refrigerated.