Israeli Volunteers Help Monks Replant Vineyard After Devastating Arson Fires

The blaze destroyed around 1,000 olive trees and left roughly 70% of the grove damaged.

By Shula Rosen

Beneath a blazing July sun, dozens of Israeli volunteers knelt in the soil of the Judean Foothills, carefully planting new grapevines on land charred by spring wildfires.

Among them were monks in simple robes, carrying saplings and anchoring trellises for the new vineyard.

These monks belong to the Latrun Monastery, a French Trappist abbey nestled between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Known for their strict daily rhythm of prayer, the monks also rely entirely on their vineyard and olive grove to sustain their quiet, labor-driven life.

Typically, the 20 resident monks manage the land with the help of a few hired workers.

But after wildfires in April and May scorched much of the surrounding landscape — destroying thousands of trees and vines;  they faced a daunting recovery.

“We’ve had small fires before,” Brother Athanase told The Times of Israel, looking out at scorched hills from a nearby ridge. “But this one was different. We thought it was under control, then the wind turned and the fire jumped into the vineyard.”

The blaze destroyed around 1,000 olive trees and left roughly 70% of the grove damaged. Fire crews eventually stopped the flames, but not before monks were forced to evacuate the monastery with barely a moment’s notice.

To recover, the monks turned to local volunteers. What began with just a few helpers quickly expanded to 80 Israelis, many connected through a WhatsApp group for agricultural assistance or recruited by interfaith activist Yisca Harani.

As the work continued, monks served the volunteers a modest meal of bread, cheese, watermelon, and white wine. Afterward, they returned to prayer in their 19th-century chapel, a rhythm that shapes their entire lives.

“Prayer and labor go hand in hand,” said Dom Patrick, the monastery’s abbot. “We don’t just survive on donations. Our work is our livelihood — and our way of life.”