David Klein Gallery Tu WShevat At A Glance Celebrating the birthday of the trees. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM AppleTree Editor hat the name means: Shevat is the name of a month on the Jewish calendar. Because in the Hebrew alphabet each letter also rep- resents a numerical value, the number 15 is written as tet vav, which forms the acronym Tu. The second part, b'Shevat, means "in Shevat." Thus, Tu b'Shevat means "15th of Shevat." • When it occurs this year: the authors of the Kabbalah. They later developed many customs for the day, including liturgical read- ings and a festive meal based on the Passover seder, complete with four cups of wine. For most Sephardic Jews today, Tu b'Shevat is a festive day. Among all Jews, however, it is customary to eat fruit from trees, especially fruit imported from Israel, or that by tradi- tion are native to Israel. If eating a fruit for the first time this (Jewish) year, the She-hecheyanu prayer is recited. In Israel, some plant trees on Tu b'Shevat. welcomes Stacey Cohen Associate Director David Klein Director Jan Andrews Associate Director, Reg istrar 163 TOWNSEND BIRMINGHAM MI 48009 TELEPHONE 248.433.3700 FAX 248.433.3702 HOURS: MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 11 - 5:30 www.dkgallery.com Saturday, Feb. 7 • What it is: In Halachah (Jewish law), the 15th day of the month of Shevat is desig- nated as the cutoff date for tithing fruits from trees. In ancient Israel, every Jewish farmer gave a percentage of his produce to the priests and Levites to maintain the Temple in Jerusalem. In Hebrew, this is known as teruma, a tithe. Tree-borne fruit that came from blossoms formed before the 15th of Shevat belonged to the current tithing year, and fruit from blossoms that formed after the 15th were desig- nated for the next year. 806480 • Rules and regulations: Tachnun, the penitential daily prayer, is not recited. Some recite Psalm 104 (Borchi Nafshi), and also the 15 psalms that begin Shir Ha- Maalot ("Song of Ascent," Psalms 120-134). ❑ 1 - Nights fell peacefully but ended prematurely at the Kaplan family home in West Bloomfield, when Steve and Lisa Kaplan's teenage daughter's late-night returns would consistently wake them in the neighboring bedroom. This coupled with a dining room table that would no longer support both dinners for four and Lisa's home office equipment led the Kaplans to Gittleman, with a cry for more space and privacy. After customizing four distinct plans for the Kaplan's selection, Gittleman allowed the couple to modify the winning plan to their liking. "They were really flexible," praised Lisa Kaplan, whose 3-bedroom ranch would soon include an office converted from hers and Steve's former bedroom—and a new master suite added to the rear of the house, strategically buffered by the office to prevent sound from leaking. • How it is observed: Today, whether in or outside of Israel, there is no tithing because there is no Temple (the Muslim Dome of the Rock and the Al- Aksa Mosque stand on the Temple site in Jerusalem). For most Jews in ancient times, Tu b'Shevat was nothing more than a bookkeeping day. Through the generations, however, the 15th took on spiritual characteristics. It was especially embraced by Sephardic Jews, and in the 16th century, by Jewish mystics of Tzefat (a town in northern Israel, often transliterated as Safed), and eman The Kaplans commend both Gittleman's administrative staff and the crew for an unwavering show of respect and courtesy while rearranging the walls of their bedroom come office. Even their family of gerbils went undisturbed. Today, the Kaplans are thrilled with what is, essentially, a new home for them. Everyone sleeps soundly, and the neighbors marvel at Gittleman's flawless matching of 30-year old brick. "I don't know how they did it!" said Lisa. They may not share their secrets...but they'll shape your dreams. Just ask the Kaplans. GGC GITTLEMAN Nia• CONSTRUCTION inc ORCHARD LAKE RD., SUITE 102 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 28580 248.538.5400 www.gittleman.net CUSTOM RENOVATIONS tIN 2/ 6 2004 33