Tu BiSh’vat or the “New Year of the Trees” is Jewish Arbor Day. The holiday is observed on the fifteenth (tu) of Sh’vat. Scholars believe that Tu BiSh’vat was originally an agricultural festival, marking the emergence of spring. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.C.E. this holiday was a way for Jews to symbolically bind themselves to their former homeland by eating foods that could be found in Israel. In the seventeenth century, Kabbalists created a ritual for Tu BiSh’vat similar to the Passover seder.
Today, Tu BiSh’vat has also become a tree planting festival in Israel, in which both Israelis and Jews around the world plant trees in honor or in memory of a loved one or friend.
This year, Tu BiSh’vat falls on February 12 – 13 and Temple Beth Tikvah is celebrating with a seder and hike.
For more information, click here.
Purim, which begins on the evening of March 13th this year, is a festive holiday that’s celebrated with a rowdy public reading of the Book of Esther, dressing in costume, eating delicious hamantaschen cookies, having festive parties, and more.
Purim is celebrated with a public reading—usually in the synagogue—of the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), which tells the story of the holiday. Under the rule of King Ahashverosh, Haman, the king’s prime minister, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction. The reading of the megillah typically is a rowdy affair, punctuated by booing and noise-making when Haman’s name is read aloud.
Look for more information about our Adult Purim Party coming to a Newsletter near you! See more at ReformJudaism.org