Representatives of the National Honey Production and Marketing Board joined beekeepers from around the country in a meeting at the Presidential Residence a few days ago to present President Reuven Rivlin with a new citris honey produced in memory of his late wife Nechama, z’l.
Rivlin meets every year with the board and the beekeepers ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana.
This year’s meeting focused on the disappearance of bees in the world and on encouraging new generations to take up various forms of agriculture.
The meeting was attended by students from the WIZO Nir Ha’Emek Youth Village, who represented Israel at the 10th Annual International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in Slovakia, winning second place in the mixed delegations category.
The president was very moved to receive the new honey and said the First Lady was a key part of this event every year.
“Growing up on an agricultural settlement, she loved Israeli honey with its citrus scent and saw in you the fulfillment of Zionism. Thank you for honoring her memory with this honey that you have produced,” he said. “Even though chocolate dominates our stores and supermarkets, there is still nothing like honey!” he added.
The president congratulated the students for their achievements at the international competition for young beekeepers, saying “I was so happy to hear the young generation of beekeepers did so well. The apple and honey doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
CEO of the Honey Board Zeev Meidan thanked the president for hosting them for the third time and said: “We will always remember your wife Nechama Rivlin, and the warmth and love that she gave us on our previous visits. She was a real moshavnikit in her heart and soul until her very last day.
“With all the difficulties we have as beekeepers and producers of honey, these are wonderful people here today who deal with the hard work, day and night at temperatures of up to 40 degrees, wearing white overalls and do so with a great deal of love for the profession. With all the rain we had this year, we can only pray for another year like it. A happy and sweet new year to you, to all of us and to all of Israel.”