Rabbi's Blog

Image: Hugging a Tree, Hudson Valley, New York - photo Julie H. Danan

I remember how impressed my kids’ friends were that Judaism celebrates a New Year of Trees, a time to plant and celebrate them. Tu Bishvat is a Jewish holiday that connects us with the Holy Land and the preservation of nature. This month we are offering two opportunities to celebrate: a Tu Bishvat Seder and potluck lunch on January 21, plus a Green Team Climate Actions workshop on January 25.

Tu Bishvat means the 15th Day–at the full moon–of the Hebrew month of Shevat. (Tu being a shorthand for the letter tet and vav, whose numerical value is 15). Although it is still winter in northern climates, early signs of spring are appearing in Israel and other warm and Mediterranean regions.

Tu Bishvat has seen four phases of development. It started as a mere “tax day” for tithing fruit for the needy in ancient Israel. In the diaspora, it became a traditional day to eat fruits that recall the Land of Israel, a custom developed most fully in the mystic’s Tu Bishvat Seder. With the rebirth of Israel, it became a day for planting trees to reforest the country (the only one in the world to finish the 20^th century with more trees than it began).

Besides planting (or donating to plant) trees, we enjoy fresh or dried fruits and grains that remind us of Israel, such as the biblical “Seven Species” (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates), and others like almonds or carob. The most elaborate type of fruit feast is the Tu Bishvat Seder. This formerly obscure Kabbalistic custom has made a comeback in recent years. Participants drink four cups of wine or juice, starting with white for winter, and gradually adding more red for spring and summer. The ceremony includes four kinds of fruits representing the Four Worlds of Kabbalah: Physical (fruits with shells), Emotional (fruits with pits), Intellectual (wholly edible fruits), and Spiritual (scents alone), connecting us to the divine energy of the Tree of Life. The Seder often includes readings, songs, poems, and stories to celebrate trees and nature.

Today Tu Bishvat has also become a time to focus on ecology and environmental stewardship. That's why it's the perfect day for our Seaside Green Team to help us all learn about living a life more in harmony with the planet.