Tu B'Shevat: A
Celebration of Trees
Continued from Page L-1
land of Israel, the trees were
replenished.
The three months before Shevat
— Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet — are
months when there is much rain.
The rains lessen in Shevat; the sun
comes out. And the sap begins to
rise in the fruit trees. This is a time
for rejoicing; a time for celebrating
the New Year of Trees — Rosh
Hashanah Leilanot. It falls on the
15th day of Shevat; it is called
Hamishah Asar B'Shevat, or Tu
B'Shevat. (The Hebrew letters tet (9)
and vav (6), which spell Tu, add up
to 15.) Six weeks after the winter
holiday, Chanukah, it is time to look
forward to the coming of spring.
Just as the tree is different from
all other growing things, so is its
holiday different from all other
Jewish holidays. Tu B'Shevat is not
mentioned in the Bible. There are
no special prayers for Tu B'Shevat
in the prayerbook. There are no
special laws for observing Tu
B'Shevat. It is almost just another
day in the calendar. Almost, but not
really, for it is the day when we get
to show our love not only for the
trees but for the Land of Israel. So
there are special customs for
celebrating this day, some of them
quite new.
One of the oldest customs is
mentioned in the Talmud. It says
that on Tu B'Shevat, a young cedar
was planted for every boy born
during the year; a young cypress
was planted for every girl. When the
young people grew up and came to
be married, branches from their
cedars and cypresses were cut and
woven together to form their
chuppah.
Each year many Israelis,
particularly children, plant trees on
the sand dunes, in the marshes, or
wherever they are needed. They are
fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:
They shall build up the old ruins.
They shall raise up what was
destroyed.
They shall make the destroyed cities
new,
And rebuild the ruins of many
generations.
This year, more than ever
before, the holiday of Tu B'Shevat
will be celebrated by almost every
resident in the Land of Israel and
supported by Diaspora Jewry. The
horrific forest fires, which decimated
35,000 acres of land, have
demonstrated the need to replant
trees at a rate of 10 trees for every
one destroyed.
Israelis — men, women and
children — will be physically
planting at least one tree per
person. Jews in the Diaspora are
being asked to help support in this
time of emergency by purchasing as
many trees as they possibly can.
On Tu B'Shevat, we celebrate
the New Year of the Trees and our
own belief in the future of the world.
On Tu B'Shevat, tied so closely to
Israel and its feasts, we celebrate
the unbreakable bonds between
Jews everywhere and the Land of
Israel. On Tu B'Shevat we mark the
oneness of the Jewish people.
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.
• •
Keep it in a sunny place.
It takes about two weeks
for sprouts to appear.
Soon a vine will grow.
ge‘t
Ati Special Importance
Reba
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
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
2.
■
You may want to tack
string to the window
frame for the vines to
grow on.