Celebrate New Year for Trees

Tu B'Shevat, the New Year for Trees, symbolizes more than just a birthday, or an Arbor Day. Trees have importance beyond their beauty and utility. They signify growth, renewal and the continuity of life. In ancient times, the New Year for Trees was an important milestone in the Jewish calendar year with respect to the social structure of society.

The Tu B'Shevat holiday is when we reaffirm the strong links between the people of Israel and the land of Israel. This bond, symbolized by the deep roots of the tree, is a major theme of the day. This little festival is also about cultivating the land (and some of the religious precepts associated with that) and appreciating nature's gifts. It is also about contemplation of the source of everything.

Over the years, several quaint customs have evolved. Their symbolism should say something to even the least nature-loving among us.

The first mention of this new year appears in the Talmud. (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) The Mishnah says, "There are four new year days: the first of Nissan, the new year for kings and festivals; the first of Elul, the new year for the tithing of animals; the first of Tishrei, the new year for the counting of years, the Sabbatical (shemitah), the Jubilee and planting and vegetation; and the first of Shevat, the New Year for Trees.

As is apparent from its name, Tu B'Shevat falls on the 15th of Shevat. ("Tu" is from the letters tet and vav, which have the numerical equivalents of nine and six, thus adding to 15). Since the holiday is not prescribed in scriptures, it was only in the Mishnaic period that a discussion emerged as to when to establish this new year.

To determine the birthday of a tree, the rabbis picked the date that tree stops absorbing water from the ground and begins, instead, to draw nourishment from its sap. The notion of trees being dependent on the amount of water in the soil gave rise to the question of how much rain would fall in any one year. Consequently, the New Year for Trees also became the Day of Judgment for trees of eretz Yisrael, the day when their fate is determined.

Gradually, Tu B'Shevat began to take on a new look, especially after the Temple period had passed. When the Jews were exiled, they took the celebration with them. Perhaps the notion of renewal offered hope to the oppressed people; perhaps they wanted to take a little bit of eretz Yisrael with them during their wanderings. Over the years, it became the practice to eat the fruits of the land on Tu B'Shevat, to plant trees – especially in the modern state of Israel – and even to conduct a mystical seder service where the inner dimensions of the fruits of eretz Yisrael are expounded, along with blessings, songs and deep discussion.

Today, in Israel and the diaspora, the holiday marking Tu B'Shevat and the Jewish National Fund are closely related. A few years ago, students from all over the world were asked to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. The response was amazing. More than 600,000 participated in the project. Due to the success of this project, it was decided to develop a Bible Forest. In this forest, there will be various trails where signs are posted, describing in detail the stories of the Bible. This project is a meaningful way for parents to participate with their children in discovering the Bible.

Locally, each year, youth and adults come together to call on our community to plant trees in Israel. All trees donated through our annual Tu B'Shevat Tree-a-Thon will be planted in the Bible Forest.

This year's JNF Tu B'Shevat telethon, chaired by Jodi Schonfeld, will take place on Sunday, Jan. 12, and Sunday, Jan. 19. For information or to volunteer, call the JNF at 604-257-5155. A Tu B'Shevat Seder, with discussion, will take place for the entire community on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m., at the Louis Brier Home and Hospital.

– Courtesy of the Jewish National Fund

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