Thanks to a transformational gift of $800,000 from Dr. Yosef Wosk, 800,000 trees will be planted at UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Alex Fraser and Malcolm Knapp Research Forests over the coming years.
“This gift supports the long-term vitality of the stands at our research forests, and the high-calibre research, education and teaching underway there,” states UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Prof. and Dean Rob Kozak. “We are incredibly grateful to Yosef for entrusting us with helping to realize a large part of his vision to plant one million trees.”
Yosef has many accolades and accomplishments to his name. He is a rabbi, scholar, Adjunct Prof. in Global Humanities, poet, published author, philanthropist, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Member of the Order of British Columbia and Officer of the Order of Canada. Locally, he is also well-known for founding the Philosophers’ Cafe and the Canadian Academy of Independent Scholars, as well as receiving the Freedom of the City, the City of Vancouver’s highest civilian honour, in 2022.
Yosef carries forward his family’s tradition of contributing to charity (Tsedaka). In step with the teachings of their Jewish faith, giving affords an opportunity to care for the world and its next generation of inhabitants.
Among Yosef’s many philanthropic contributions is a dazzling canopy of 100,000 trees at the Morris J. and Dena Wosk Peace Forest near Jerusalem planted in commemoration of his parents. Both this gift, as well as his donation to UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, sprang from an inspiring childhood experience.
“I found carob trees in the world when I was born. Just as my ancestors planted for me so I, too, plant for my children.”
— From “Honi and the Carob Tree,” a tale from the Talmud (Ta’anit 23a) collection of Jewish laws and traditions
“When I was around six years old, there was a program at school that let us buy for a nickel a leaf-shaped sticker that we could then place on our individual diagrams of a tree,” Yosef recalls. “Over the course of a year, if we filled up all of the leaves on our trees, a real one would be planted in our name in Israel. This was fascinating to me.”
“Being able to contribute to nature now, I am reminded of how we are all connected,” Yosef adds. “Just as we need to protect ourselves in life to thrive, we also need to protect the forests, air and oceans.”
