ABOUT THE HOLIDAY

Tu B’Shevat, the 15th day of the month of Shevat, is the New Year of the Trees. Under the full moon of this month, we celebrate what for hundreds of years has been a minor holiday. Tu B’Shevat is first mentioned in the Mishnah as a Rosh HaShanah for the trees. In the Talmud, the holiday is described as the day after which all fruit harvested would be included in the coming years' calculations for the tithe, the ten percent of the harvest that Jewish farmers had brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. 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. In our time of growing awareness of the fragility of the natural environment, Tu B’Shevat provides a wonderful opportunity to experience our connection to creation.