Tu B'Shevat

by Patti Breitman

The Babylonian Talmud says “It is forbidden to live in a town that has no garden or greenery.” We are fortunate in northern California to have abundant trees, gardens, and greenery year round. ט״ו בִּשְּׁבט Tu B'Shevat celebrates a new year for trees, as it comes at the end of one year's fruit crop and, with new buds bursting open, the beginning of the next year's crop. Tu B'Shevat is a time to plant trees and to honor the life-giving benefits of trees. Trees are the lungs of the planet, creating oxygen and taking in carbon dioxide. They restore land, prevent mudslides, provide homes for small animals, fruit and shade, and add beauty and value to any property.

Jewish customs for celebrating Tu B'Shevat vary, but most center on sharing and celebrating fruit. A Tu B'Shevat seder follows many of the same customs of a Passover seder, but included four fruits along with four cups of wine. We are reminded on Tu B'Shevat that we are God's caretakers on Earth. We are called on to be good stewards of the environment, to make choices that show respect for our planet, and to do all we can to preserve and honor its air, water, land and trees.

For more information, we recommend the book The Jewish Year, by Barbara Rush (Stewart, Tabori & Chang).

—from our January-February 2005 Newsletter

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