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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.
Sh'mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah: History
As Sukkot comes to an end, we encounter additional special days in the Jewish calendar: Sh’mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Sh'mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah: Customs and Rituals
The symbolic message of the customs associated with Simchat Torah emphasize that the Torah represents our heritage and history, and links Jews to each other over many generations.
Tu BiShvat: Judaism and the Environment
During Tu BiShvat, we focus our attention towards the environment and environmental issues.
Teaching Children about Reducing Waste (Bal Tashchit)
Yasmin must hold her nose to wade through the garbage piling up outside the Plony house. Though she turns off the faucet and begs Momma Plony not to use extra paper towels, it takes a magical Sparks- inspired flood to sort out the real trash from the recyclables.
Jewish Values: Public Health & the Environment
The relationship between the environment and the health of living organisms is inseparable. Water, air, land, and soil are critical to the survival of all living creatures. On the other hand, pollution, global warming, and pesticides, to name a few, are threats to the health of all life on earth...
Jewish Values: Protecting Natural Resources
Natural resources are defined as: “naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified (natural) form” (Wikipedia). Natural resources are all the natural commodities and features of the earth’s physical environment that are exploited by human population.
The Apple Tree’s Discovery
A litle apple tree is jealous of the big tall oak, until one day it discovers something surprising. This Tu BiShvat story teaches that everyone has qualities that make them special in a unique way, and is a lesson about patience and the passing of time.