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All Specials Good Through February 6th, 1988

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Thurs. & Fri: 8 6
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Saturday Si

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Fruity Treats For
lb B'Shevat

GLORIA KAUFER GREENE

Special to The Jewish News

AM 1,1' SONS
RUIT
MKT.
6718 Orchard Lake Rd.

NE SPRING I-IOU-RS
T.00
am
Daily '7:00
Sunday
T00 . asn.-6..00 p.m.

GET TIIE
YOU
BESTQUALITY
CIE
LOWEST PRICES

'

40 851-8020

Tu

B'Shevat Sale

Empire Fresh

$11 0 9 1b.

BARBECUE CHICKEN. .

Sweet

SUNKIST ORANGES. .

1

1

$1 79 doz.

Sweet Large Size

NECTARINES

IDAHO
POTATOES
25cib.

1

1

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FRESH CUT
FLOWERS
DAILY

EXTRA LARGE
EGGS

49c

doz.

WE CARRY ST. JOHN'S BREAD "Boxa"

14 oz. pkg. Fresh

TURKISH FIGS .

11

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99c

/2 gallon carton

1

BORDEN'S 1/2% MILK

All Specials Good Through February 3rd, 1988

74

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1988

79*

T

he popular name of
most Jewish holidays
is typically related to
the historical significance of
the celebration. Tu B'Shevat,
however, is simply a con-
venient abbreviation for the
holiday's date on the Hebrew
calendar, the fifteenth of She-
vat (this year corresponding
to Wed., Feb. 3). The date-
name is used in much the
same way that we Americans
casually refer to Indepen-
dence Day as the "Fourth of
July!'
Less commonly known as
Rosh Hashanah L'Ilanot
("The New Year of the
Trees"), this holiday is tradi-
tionally considered the time
when trees are judged as to
which will prosper in the com-
ing year and which will not,
just as people are judged dur-
ing their own Rosh Hasha-
nah. It is also called the
Festival of Fruits or Fruticas
or Las Frutas by some
Sephardim because of its em-
phasis on fruit and fruit trees.
Tu B'Shevat also denotes a
sort of birthday for all fruit
(and nut) trees used since an-
cient times to reckon the tithe
and to indicate the maturity
these trees since, according to
biblical injunction, fruit
should not be eaten or used
until a tree's fourth year.
The particular date was
chosen because it is approx-
imately when the sap begins
to flow in Israel's fruit trees
after a winter of dormancy.
Beginning with the lovely al-
mond, the trees gradually
blossom into gorgeous flowers
and then produce their delect-
able fruit.
The holiday is celebrated in
many different ways by Jews
who presently live in or come
from varying countries
around the world. For in-
stance, in Israel, Tu B'Shevat
has become a national arbor
day. Groups of school children
wearing garlands or wreaths
of flowers proudly parade out
into the fields, where each
child plants a sapling.
According to Rabbi Herber

C. Dobrinsky in his book, A
Treasury of Sephardic Laws
and Customs, the woman of a
Syrian-Jewish household ar-
ranges a large decorative
platter that includes the
seven preferred "fruits" of the
Land of Israel mentioned in
the Bible (i.e. wheat, barley,
grapes, figs, pomegranates,
olives, and dates [honey]) as
well as many other fruits and
nuts, so that there are at least
30 different types. Cookies
may be served to represent
wheat.
Judeo-Spanish children,
says Rabbi Dobrinsky, some-
times call the holiday, Hami-
shoshi. He notes, "A teasing
game for the children was to
tell them to wait up until
midnight, when the trees
would kiss each other and the
angels would come down from
heaven to determine the fate
of every tree. The children
would, however, always fall
asleep before midnight."
And Nicholas Stavroulakis
writes in his fascinating
Cookbook of the Jews of
Greece that on Tu B'Shevat,
"The custom of blessing the
seeds [to be used in the spring
planting] is still carried out in
most Greek Jewish commun-
ities. One blessing is said over
wheat, another over the fruits
of the tree and vine, and a
third over the fruits of the
earth. Three bowls, or trays,
are set out. One has wheat
kernels; another has raisins,
pomegranates, and the carob;
and a third has carrot and
melon seeds. Children still go
from house to house and are
given bags of mixed fruits!'
For most Sephardim around
the world (and, more recent-
ly, many Ashkenazim), the
high point of Tu B'Shevat is
a wonderful Seder whose ser-
vice is based on text of a work
called Pri Etz Hadar.
In her excellent cookbook
Sephardic Holiday Cooking ,
(to be reviewed in an upcom-
ing cooking column), Gilda
Angel explains the origins of
this Seder. "The prayer ser-
vice and observances of [Tu
B'ShevatJ were broadened
under the influence of Rabbi

Continued on Page 76