lb B'Shevat: A Celebration of Trees Continued from Page L-1 cedars and cypresses were cut and land of Israel, the trees were woven together to form their replenished. The three months before Shevat chuppah. Each year many Israelis, — Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet — are particularly children, plant trees on months when there is much rain. the sand dunes, in the marshes, or The rains lessen in Shevat; the sun wherever they are needed. They are comes out. And the sap begins to fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: rise in the fruit trees. This is a time for rejoicing; a time for celebrating They shall build up the old ruins. the New Year of Trees — Rosh They shall raise up what was Hashanah Leilanot. It falls on the destroyed. 15th day of Shevat; it is called They shall make the destroyed cities Hamishah Asar B'Shevat, or Tu new, B'Shevat. (The Hebrew letters tet (9) And rebuild the ruins of many and vav (6), which spell Tu, add up generations. to 15.) Six weeks after the winter This year, more than ever holiday, Chanukah, it is time to look before, the holiday of Tu B'Shevat forward to the coming of spring. will be celebrated by almost every Just as the tree is different from resident in the Land of Israel and all other growing things, so is its supported by Diaspora Jewry. The holiday different from all other horrific forest fires, which decimated Jewish holidays. Tu B'Shevat is not 35,000 acres of land, have mentioned in the Bible. There are demonstrated the need to replant no special prayers for Tu B'Shevat trees at a rate of 10 trees for every in the prayerbook. There are no one destroyed. special laws for observing Tu Israelis — men, women and B'Shevat. It is almost just another children — will be physically day in the calendar. Almost, but not planting at least one tree per really, for it is the day when we get person. Jews in the Diaspora are to show our love not only for the being asked to help support in this trees but for the Land of Israel. So time of emergency by purchasing as there are special customs for many trees as they possibly can. celebrating this day, some of them On Tu B'Shevat, we celebrate quite new. the New Year of the Trees and our One of the oldest customs is own belief in the future of the world. mentioned in the Talmud. It says On Tu B'Shevat, tied so closely to that on Tu B'Shevat, a young cedar Israel and its feasts, we celebrate was planted for every boy born the unbreakable bonds between during the year; a young cypress was planted for every girl. When the Jews everywhere and the Land of Israel. On Tu B'Shevat we mark the young people grew up and came to oneness of the Jewish people. be married, branches from their Project For Tu B'Shevat 1. Place a sweet potato with toothpicks in a jar or tall glass, so just its tip is in water. 2. Keep it in a sunny place. It takes about two weeks for sprouts to appear. Soon a vine will grow. 41 - _4,6 Special Importance Of Israel's Trees In recent months there have been a number of fires set by Arabs to intentionally destroy large forests in Israel. Why do you think these people have chosen to destroy Israel's trees? In some South American countries, such as Brazil, lush rain forests cover much of the land. Native South Americans are cutting down massive amounts of the tropical trees which fill these jungle sechti ff e- m THE JEWISH NEWS 20300 Civic Center Drive Suite 240 Southfield, Michigan 48076 January 20, 1988 Associate Publisher Arthur M. Horwitz News Editor Heidi Press Jewish Experiences for Families Adviser Harlene W. Appleman Illustrator Neil Beckman L-2 FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1989 areas in order to sell the wood for commercial use. Why do you think people who care about the environment of planet earth are very concerned about this? Weekly Torah Portion — Beshalach, The Redemption from Egypt. God allows the children of Israel to escape the hand of Pharaoh by causing the Red Sea to part so they could escape. Yet God causes the sea to close over the pursuing Egyptians which kills every last one of them. The children of Israel are awe-struck and overwhelmed at the power of God. Why then do we see time and again following this great miracle, their lack of faith in the disobedience to Moses, the servant of God? —Submitted by Dr. Margaret S. Eichner, Headmaster, Yavneh Adademy- The Reform Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Detroit 3. You may want to tack string to the window frame for the vines to grow on.