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It’s Hard to be a Jew at Christmas, But Even Harder on Tu BiSh’vat
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it can be difficult to be Jewish at Christmas time. It has seeped into North American cultural consciousness so thoroughly that South Park even wrote a song about it, complete with trademark expletives.
Easy Chicken Kreplach
Using store-bought wonton wrappers and leftover chicken, you can enjoy the heartwarming comfort of kreplach in less than 30 minutes.
Shabbat Blessings: Psalm 126 - Shir Hamaalot
On Shabbat, holidays and at certain other festive meals, begin Birkat HaMazon (grace after meals) with "A Pilgrim's Song."
Daily Blessings: Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) - Short Version
Learn how to sing the blessings for grace after meals.
Daily Blessings: Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) - Long Version
Chaverim vachaveirot n'vareich!
Tu BiShvat: Customs and Rituals
The Jewish mystics of the 17th century, the Kabbalists, created a special ritual—modeled after the Passover seder—to celebrate God's presence in nature. Today in modern Israel, Tu BiShvat has become a national holiday, a tree planting festivaTu BiShvat is not mentioned in the Torah. Scholars believe the holiday was originally an agricultural festival, corresponding to the beginning of spring in Israel. But a critical historical event helped Tu BiShvat evolve from a simple celebration of spring to a commemoration of our connection to the land of Israel. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and the exile that followed, many of the exiled Jews felt a need to bind themselves symbolically to their former homeland. Tu BiShvat served in part to fill that spiritual need. Jews used this time each year to eat a variety of fruits and nuts that could be obtained from Israel. The practice, a sort of physical association with the land, continued for many centuries.l for both Israelis and Jews throughout the world
Tu BiShvat: History
Although the celebration of Tu BiShvat has a long and varied history, the theme most commonly ascribed to the holiday today is the environment.