Why do we celebrate Tu BiShvat, the Jewish “New Year of the Trees,” in the middle of winter?
Tu BiShvat, called the "New Year of the Trees," falls at a seemingly incongruous time of year.
Why is caring for the environment emphasized on Tu BiShvat?
Tu BiShvat is a minor festival whose provenance dates only to the time of the Second Temple. However, the kabbalists who clustered around the great fifteenth-century mystic Isaac Luria of Safed placed great weight on the holiday, creating new festivities, gatherings at which hymns were sung, fruit (particularly carob) was eaten, and four cups of wine were taken (as in the Passover seder).
How to Plan a Tu BiSh'vat Seder
Everyone loves to participate in a Pesach seder. But did you know that there is an opportunity to celebrate a different seder about two months earlier?
Ode to the Moon of Shvat
Winter weighs on the soul of this author. She finds comfort, though, in the moon cycles and their symbols, laden with meaning, healing, comfort, and inspiration.
Tu BiShvat: Judaism and the Environment
Tu BiShvat for Families
How a New Ceremony Changed My View of Yom HaShoah
Yom HaShoah is typically a somber time to reflect, and for me personally, to be angry at the world. Last year, however, was different.
Sharing the Human Experience of Holocaust Remembrance Day
To make the ceremonies and reflections of Holocaust Remembrance Day meaningful, there must be ways it informs our decisions as Jews and as human beings all year long.
Remembering the Holocaust Brings a Country Together
Yom HaShoah is a day of mourning in Israel. Many stores close, music on the radio reflects the somber nature of the day, and most amazing is the sound of the siren.