Tu b'Shevat Holiday Guide

Tu b’Shevat

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Holiday Guide These pages contain sacred literature.

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Holiday

Tu b’Shevat is the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat. The word “Tu” is the number 15 in Hebrew. It is a holiday known as the New Year of the Trees. This year Tu b’Shevat begins on the evening of February 10th and is celebrated on the day of the 11th.

Under the full moon of this month, we celebrate this minor holiday that has been celebrated for hundreds of years.Tu b’Shevat is first mentioned in the Mishnah as a Rosh HaShanah - New Year for the trees. It is described in the Talmud as the day after which all fruit harvested would be included in the coming year’s calculations for the tithe, the ten percent of the harvest that Jewish farmers had brought to the Bet Hamikdash - Temple in Jerusalem. Tu B’Shevat is also referenced as the basis for calculating the age of a tree depending on whether it was planted before or after the holiday. The fruit from newly planted trees may not be eaten during the first three years. The fourth year’s fruit was to be dedicated to God and taken to the Bet Hamikdash - Temple in Jerusalem. After the fourth year one can eat the fruit from the tree (Leviticus 19:23-25).

How We

Celebrate

Although Tu b’Shevat is not a major festival with many rituals and observances, it has grown from being a day to remember the connection to the Land of Israel to an important celebration encompassing Jewish mysticism and ecology.

For centuries after the exile from Israel, Jews used Tu b’Shevat as a day to recall their ties to our homeland by eating its produce. While snow lay on the ground Jews knew that the shekediyah - the almond tree, was baring its delicate pink and white blossoms in Israel, and that the rains of winter were nearly over. Raisins, figs, dates, almonds, and especially the hardy bokser - carob, brought visions of an Israeli springtime to life. Today, tree planting has become the best-known commemoration of the holiday.

The rituals of the Tu b’Shevat seder comes to us from the 16th century mystics of Tzfat, Israel. It has become more popular during our modern era. For a modern Tu b’Shevat seder haggadah, visit this link: http://www.hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2013-Tu-BShvat-Haggadah.pdf People also use the holiday to learn and practice the value of Bal Tashchit - do not destroy, an ethic of protecting the natural world. Visit the website of The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (www.coejl.org) for a variety of sources related to Jewish environmental awareness and activism.

Suggestions for Family

Celebration

• The simplest kind of Tu b’Shevat celebration is a little party with refreshments and fruits reminiscent of Israel.

Foods could include representatives from the seven species of produce grown in the land of Israel: wheat, barley, grape vines, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8). Other traditional foods include the almond, the first tree to bloom each spring in Israel, as well as carob, oranges, avocados and bananas. It is customary to recite the Shehechyanu blessing before eating the first fruit of the season, as well as the blessings for eating p’ree haeytz - fruit from trees.

• Plant trees in Israel through the Jewish National Fund in honor or in memory of a loved one (www.JNF.org).

• Many people find this holiday especially meaningful as a way to connect with nature. Go for a hike; further your family’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle; find ways to give thanks for the bounty in our natural world and the cycle of the seasons.

A Final Word

The Talmud tells of the legendary figure, Honi HaMa’agel, Honi the Circle Maker. One day Honi happened upon an old man planting a carob tree. Honi asked him how long it would take for the tree to bear fruit. “Seventy years,” the man replied. Honi then asked if the man expected to partake of the fruit of the tree he was planting. The old man responded, “I enjoyed the fruits of trees planted by my parents and grandparents. Even as they planted for me, so do I plant for my children.”

Planting is a lot of what parenting and educating is about. Much of what we do day after day we see no immediate or obvious effect, and yet the influence of our small, everyday interactions with our children, the seeds we plant, will bear fruit far into the future.

Books for Children: • A Tree Full of Mitzvos by Dina Herman • The Gift That Grew by Yaffa Ganz • Honi and His Magic Circle

by Phillis Gershator • A Seder for Tu Bishvat by Harlene Appelman and Jane Shapiro

Holiday Recipes + Nutrition Nutritional information courtesy of Valerie Roth Schafer

Feel free to celebrate in your own special way by using any kind of dried fruits that you might have in abundance and enjoy - like apricots, dried sour cherries and prunes, figs, etc.

Be careful to avoid dried fruits and nuts that have additional sugar added for extra flavor and are more like candy than a healthy snack. Some of the main dried fruits to avoid are pineapple, banana chips, cranberries and watermelon -- all of which generally have added sugars to sweeten the taste.

Nuts are another great option to add to your table on this day! They have mix of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber that will help you feel full and suppress your appetite. Be careful though. You don’t need to eat a lot of nuts to overdo it! Avoid nuts that are pre-packaged or roasted in oil; instead, eat them raw or dry roasted.

Israeli Date Cake

Pomegranate Tabouleh

In a large mixing bowl pour: 1/2 cup boiling water over 1 lb. chopped dates

Ingredients: • 1 cup medium (#2) bulgur • 2 cups chopped flat-leafed Italian parsley, including a few stems • 1 cup pomegranate seeds • 1 small clove garlic, crushed or grated • Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add: 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter Beat slightly: 2 eggs and add to other ingredients.

Mix together in another bowl: 3 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 cup carob powder or cocoa Add to wet ingredients.

Add: 2 teaspoons vanilla dash cinnamon Bake in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan at 350 for one hour. Do not overcook. Allow to cool before serving.

To make a snowflake decoration on the top, place a large paper doily over the cake. Dust with powdered sugar, then carefully remove the doily.

Portland Jewish Academy 6 weeks through 8th grade 503.244.0126 • www.pjaproud.org 6651 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, 97219

Instructions: 1. Soak the bulgur in water to cover for at least 1 hour.

Drain and squeeze out the excess water.

2. Add the parsley and pomegranate seeds.

3. Put the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a separate small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Pour over the bulgur and toss gently with your hands. Allow to marinate, refrigerated for several hours.

Health Benefits: Bulgur is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a whole grain that has no chemicals or additives when processing the product. It is naturally high in fiber and low in fat.

If you are gluten-free, you may substitute quinoa for this recipe.