flame
shalom

 
red_bullet Home
 ABOUT US
red_bullet History
red_bullet Membership
red_bullet Directions
red_bullet Contact Us
shim
 FACILITIES
red_bullet Buildings
red_bullet Cemetery
red_bullet Gift Shop
red_bullet Building Renovation
shim
 WHO'S WHO
red_bullet Cantor
red_bullet Board
red_bullet Committees
shim
 WORSHIP
red_bullet Candle Lighting Times
red_bullet Torah Readings
red_bullet Yahrzeit Calendar
red_bullet Holidays
shim
 EDUCATION
red_bullet Hebrew School
shimInformation
red_bullet Hebrew School
shimSlide Show
red_bullet School Calendar
red_bullet Bar/Bat Mitzvah
shimTraining
shim
CALENDARS
red_bullet Services & Events
red_bullet Jewish Calendar
red_bullet Hebrew Date
shimConverter
shim
 NEWSLETTER
red_bullet July/August 2008
red_bullet Newsletter Archives
shim
 LINKS
red_bullet Local Sites
red_bullet Jewish Resources
shim
 SEARCH SITE

shim
 

      
Beth Israel Congregation

   
 
 
 

Tu B'Shvat

Tu B'Shvat is on the Fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Shevat and is the "New Year for the Trees" or Rosh Hashana La-ilanot. In Israel everything is green and it is the start of spring.

It is just the right time to plant trees. On the fifteenth (Tu in Hebrew) we plant trees which will grow strong and tall.

An ancient custom in Israel when a baby was born, the parents planted a tree in its honor. The tree was planted on Tu B'Shvat following the child's birth. If the baby was a boy, a cedar was planted. If the baby was a girl, a cypress was planted. As the children grew so did the trees. When children got married the wood from the trees built their chupah (wedding canopy). As the wood from the two trees were joined in the chupah so were the bride and groom in their marriage.

Many hundreds of years Tu B'Shvat has been celebrated throughout the world. Even when we had no homeland we still remembered and celebrated Tu B'Shvat. Although many could not plant trees because it was not spring during the fifteenth of Shevat where they lived, they ate the "fruit of the trees" and remembered. The fruits of the trees they ate were like those in Israel: almonds, dates, figs, raisins, and carob. It was considered a mitzva to eat these fruits during Tu B'Shvat and recite the blessings.

A modern tradition for people who live outside of Israel is to plant a tree in Israel by contributing to the Israel National Fund. They will plant a tree for you in Israel.

-- Akhlah

 

Tu B'Shvat links