Happy birthday to MY VERY SPECIAL FRIEND

Who always has an ear to lend

She's so very cute as you all will agree
And she also has a great
PERSONALITY

Bnei Akiva Bash

Lively program draws families
to holiday celebration.

Chavivah Bluth
Teen2Teen Staff Writer

She runs Action Tours with
charm and class
While her partner stays home
and sits on his A**

She is known by every charity in town
Because when they call she NEVER turns them down

L

ocal members of Bnei Akiva, a
religious Zionist youth move-
ment, hosted its annual Tu
b'Shevat family seder Jan. 19 at Young
Israel of Oak Park.
After coming in from the cold, the
first thing everyone did, of course,
was approach the lovely spread of hot
food.
The sheva minim (seven species)
were displayed on each table for use
in the ceremony. The walls of the shill
were decorated with trees and the
Star of David made by the Bnei Akiva
madrichot (counselors).
Tu b'Shevat is a holiday celebrat-
ing the day of judgment for trees and
their upcoming new year. Tu b'Shevat,
being an environmental holiday
includes the mention of the sheva
minim: wheat, barley, grapes, figs,
dates, pomegranates and olives. Each
represent a different type of a blessing
you can make on food.
Wheat, which can be made into
breads and other pastries, is Hamotzi,
the highest form of a blessing because
you wash for it, making it into a meal.
Barley represents mezonot, the second
type of grain blessing, but not one to
wash for. Next is grapes, which are
translated into wine or grape juice,
which has its own blessing, hagafen.
Next are the fruits, ha'eitz (tree) the
olives, pomegranates, dates and figs.
The olive is eaten first because in the
Bible, the text mentions olives twice,
showing its superiority over other
fruits. Lastly, the blessing of shehakol,
used for liquids, candies or if the
proper blessing is unknown; shehakol
derived from the word kol meaning
"all," as in this covers all blessings.
"Why make a big celebration about
a non-major holiday many people
don't even celebrate?" It's a good ques-
tion if you think about it. In Israel
on Tu b'Shevat, hundreds of trees are
planted symbolizing a fresh start,
renewal. Although we may think the
judgment is only for trees, it's a day of
judgment for us as well. What happens
to our crops indirectly affects us.
The seven species we eat aren't just
for show; Tu b'Shevat is a day where
we appreciate the fruits given to us by

As a wife, mom & Bubbe
she can't be beat
Being with her is always a treat

My wishes for her are simple but true
May all her future birthdays never be blue

May they be filled, with the very best
Continued good health and more trips out west

Love, Your favorite 8AM caller Ann Alpern

1650240

Turn your old GOLD into
CASH! We will buy ALL
of your precious metals,

Herschel Rogers, a Bnei Akiva counselor,

plays bass in the Bnei Akiva band.

God and, in turn, bless Him for mak-
ing them.
"It's about appreciating Israel and
renewal:' said one of Bnei Akiva's head
madrichot Liz Kirshner.
Bnei Akiva groups performed vari-
ous skits explaining our appreciation
of our Holy Land and the importance
of its renewal. After each skit, a Bnei
Akiva counselor would give a short
summary about the importance of a
specific species and then perform its
ceremony.
The feeling of spiritual rebirth was
all around when the Bnei Akiva band
took the stage. Musicians Yoni Nadel,
Cobi Nadel, Justin Kelman, Dovi
Snider and Herschel Rogers performed
crowd pleasers.
The seder, produced almost corn-
pletely by kids from the community,
was a great success. Everyone left with
a sense of pride in being Jews; in being
part of the Jewish people. I I

248.356.6000

Chavivah Bluth, 15, is a sophomore at

Akiva Hebrew Day School in Southfield.

www.JoeCornell.com

MCs, DJs, Dancers
Music
Cool
Lighting Staging
Original
The
Grade
6th
DANCE EXPERIENCE

March 3e 2011

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