Beth Israel is celebrating Tu B'Shevat with a congregant-led Seder. The evening includes delightful snacks and wine, schmoozing, and an intriguing Seder. $10.00 for adults 13 years old and older. No cost for children. RSVP to our Program Director, Sarah Klein, at sklein@bethisrael-aa.org.
Tu B’Shevat gets its name from the date on which the holiday occurs, the 15th of the month of Shevat. A minor Jewish holiday, it is often referred to as the new year (or “birthday”) of the trees. The holiday of Tu B’Shevat fell out of practice after the destruction of the Second Temple, but was revived by kabbalists in the Middle Ages. They instituted the practice of the Tu B’Shevat seder, a meal that partly mirrors the Passover seder and involves eating biblical foods native to the Holy Land and drinking four cups of wine. Tu B’Shevat has developed into an ecological holiday that reminds Jews of their connection to the earth and to their role as caretakers of the environment.