At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.
Those Who Plant Will Reap: A Tu BiShvat Lesson
Tu BiShvat is a reminder that we spend our lives planting seeds. Time and effort are needed for our efforts to bear fruit. Wait patiently. One day, like the seed, we will be blessed.
Planting a Seed
By Joshua Weinberg
“And when you come into the Land, and have planted all manner of food bearing trees… (Lev. 19:23) The Holy one Blessed be he said to the people Israel: Even though you have found [the land] full of plenty, you shall not say: We shall sit and not plant, rather proceed with caution in your planting… For as you have entered and found the fruits of others’ labor, you so shall plant for your children. (Midrash Tanhuma)
If you’re like me, then you may remember that pivotal moment of Jewish education when you received your very own Jewish National Fund (JNF) certificate for a tree planted in Israel. Whether it was for a birth, birthday, bar/bat mitzvah, or in memory of a loved one, a tree was planted in Israel to mark the occasion. The message was clear: with every passing milestone we want to connect Jews to the Land of Israel and to the Zionist enterprise. All of us who were the fortunate recipients of such trees knew in the recesses of our mind that somewhere in that strip of land, in some forest, was our tree, our little piece of Israel. As the certificates read, the JNF wished us the following: “We wish you the fortune of seeing it grow with much pleasure and ease.”
I am familiar with a Passover seder, but what is a Tu BiShvat seder?
Tu BiShvat (Hebrew for the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat) is the new year of the trees.
What greetings are appropriate on Purim?
On Purim, we can greet one another with “Chag Purim sameach!” (Happy Purim!)
How My Synagogue Fosters My Creativity - and Lets Me Be a Star!
With a collaborator who wrote a clever script, I took on the role of Haman and joined my fellow actors in singing my lyrics. I also choreographed a couple of numbers, fulfilling my desire to write, sing, act, and dance.
Drunk on Purim: What Are We Teaching Our Kids?
Purim festivities don't square with what I know about the harmful side of alcohol: It destroys people’s lives. What message are we sending our children?
Kids, Costumes, and the Boundlessness of the Imagination - at Purim and Beyond
The possibilities are only limited by imagination, and children’s imaginations are not limited.
Book of Esther: A Poem
Reform Jewish poet Stacey Z. Robinson wrote this original poem for Purim, painting a much different picture of Esther than we knew as children.