Darshan Yeshiva Students Celebrate Tu B'Shevat
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Darshan Yeshiva Students Celebrate Tu B’Shevat
Table Of Contents
Special Message Rabbi Barbara 3
Colombia Sarva 4
USA Marquis 5
Switzerland Anna 6
Germany Claudia 7
Italy Vincenzo 8
Sweden Elias 9
Argentina Ana 10
USA Brittany 11
Croatia Silvija 12
Italy Mario 13
Italy Rosamorena 14
A Special Message From Rabbi Barbara:
As Once again it is thanks to my wonderful conversion students, current and past, that I can share
their creative and heartfelt observance of the festival of Tu B’Shevat. Although it is a minor Jewish
holiday, Tu B’Shevat is one filled with important
messages regarding caring for our environment
and communing with nature.
As a mentoring rabbi my aim is to provide
practical suggestions for our students, whose
geography or work situation prohibits regular
contact with local Jewish communities. It is my
goal that our students experience the joys of Jewish
festivals no matter their schedule or location. And
it is always better to do something no matter how
small, than to do nothing, As we learn, we applaud
every effort. As Shimon bar Yochai taught, “If you are holding a sapling in your hand, and someone
says that the Messiah has drawn near, first plant the sapling, and then go and greet the Messiah.” So
today let’s go around the world to celebrate the birthday of the trees.
Colombia
Sarva D.
During Tu B'Shevat, my fiance and I had a friend from the
U.S. visiting us in Colombia. We are all Jewish, or in my case
converting, and none of us had celebrated Tu B'Shevat before.
It was a fun new experience for all of us, and great to cele-
brate with more than just the two of us. It was also fun for us
to try new fruits from Colombia. For our first group of fruit
with inedible skin, we ate granadilla, a fruit related to passion-
fruit with gel-coated edible seeds inside. For our second
group of fruits with hard insides, we had a local variety of ba-
nana that has large hard seeds inside the color of chestnuts.
For our third fruit, we had local sweet grapes, similar to mus-
cadine but seedless with edible skin. Tu B'Shevat gave us a
novel way to connect with our Jewishness in a new place with
new flavors!
4
Massachusetts USA
Marquis J.
For Tu BShevat I made a bunch of
fruit plates with my loved ones- it
was a wonderful experience. I've at-
tached the website I used for inspi-
ration.
http://www.chabad.org/theJewishW
oman/article_cdo/aid/2349457/jewis
h/Tu-BShevat-Fruit-Plates.htm
5
Switzerland
Anna S. (class of 2017)
As a vegan, Tu B’Shevat is, for me, one of the most mean-
ingful Jewish holidays in the calendar. The tree is such a
powerful symbol of life and fruitfulness both literally and
metaphorically. The Creator put man in the middle of a
garden with fruitful trees and His very first commandment
was to eat from all the trees, except for one. Animals were
created after the trees, not as food, but as company for
Adam. The perfect state and place for Man was amongst
the trees eating to his heart’s content. Eating fruit symbol-
izes life and potential. We are taking into our bodies living
enzymes, vitamins and minerals and as vegans we take in
all of what we need and nothing of what we don’t.
This year, to mark the day, I purchased a small Mandarine
tree loaded with lots of little fruits that have yet to turn
bright orange. Looking at the tree and it perfection re-
minds of how generous HaShem is and how abundant He
wants our lives to be - like the tree full of good health and
prosperity.
6
Germany
Claudia K.
I celebrated Tu B'Shvat with different tree
fruits (avocado, pomegranate, olives) with
wheat bread, raisins and a bottle of both
red and white grape juice to do the Tu
B'Shvat seder. I welcomed the four sea-
sons with a drop of red into white and
vice versa as well as pure white and red
grape juice and I brought my colleague a
little spring plant to the office..
7
Italy
Vincenzo P.
Ho rispettato il 30 il capodanno degli alberi, l'unico prob-
lema è stato trovare i fichi. ho rimediato con lo zenzero!...
Dio penso che abbia perdonato la libertà.
(English) I observed the New Year for the trees on January
30th. The only problem was finding figs, so I substituted
ginger root! I think God forgives my taking this liberty!
8
Sweden
Elias E.
I was not able to create a celebration but I did observe
Tu B’shevat by eating my favorite fruit, which is grapefruit!
9
Argentina
Ana S.
To celebrate Tu B’Shevat I am drawing trees,
I am sending you the drawings as my Tu
B’Shevat contribution. One tree represents
one of the seven species mentioned in the
Torah while the other is a tree in a park near
my office. Happy Birthday to the trees!
(See Ana’s drawings here & on the cover)
10Colorado USA
Brittany L.
On Tu B'Shevat (my husband) Nir and I did some research
on trees that grow in both Israel and Colorado. We did not
end up planting one at this time since it is not an optimal
time for trees here- it has been cold and snowing periodi-
cally. End of March/early April is supposedly the optimal
time, so we decided to wait until then to plant. We are
looking into getting either a pine or cypress tree.
11Croatia
Silvija F.
Il seder del Tu B`Shvat ha portato molta allegria nella mia casa. Dopo i
giorni precedenti che ho passato piangendo mentre guardavo i film sul
olocausto per via del giorno della memoria, Tu B`Shvat era avvenuto
come un rinfresco. Era molto divertente fare il seder con frutta e vino
recitando benedizioni e cantando le Zemirot. Era bello aprezzare la na-
tura, pero`, piu` di tutto mi e` piaciuta l`atmosfera spirituale e mistica
del seder. Siamo seduti alla tavola celeste davanti a Hashem. Mangiando
frutta in questo giorno, noi rettifichiamo ed aumentiamo il flusso della
beneficenza divina che e` chiamata l`Albero della vita: le radici sopra
nell`essenza divina; la frutta qui sotto. La Kabbalah ci insegna che men-
tre mangiamo la frutta al Tu B`Shvat, dovremmo riflettere sul peccato di
Adam e Chava e avere intenzione di correggerlo. In onore del Tu
B`Shvat avevo deciso di piantare nel giardino l`albero di Etrog che e`
considerato nella Torah uno dei frutti piu` belli. Il pacco con l`albero
pero` e arrivato con un grande rittardo e cosi` invece di piantarlo un
giorno prima del Tu B`Shvat l`ho piantato il giorno dopo. Questo signi-
fica che ho mancato il compleanno del mio albero e cosi` dovro` aspet-
tare un anno in piu` per poter racogliere i suoi frutti. Pazienza!
Quando sarete entrati nel paese e vi avrete piantato ogni sorta d'alberi fruttiferi, ne considererete i frutti
come incirconcisi; per tre anni saranno per voi come incirconcisi; non si dovranno mangiare. ( Levitico 19:23 12Italy
Mario S.
Nella nostra prima telefonata ti dissi cosa pensavo di questo mondo e dopo aver ap-
preso gli assunti della lezione su Tu B’Shevat, sono ancora più convinto che Kant rap-
presenti il mio pensiero quando dice che questo modo lo abbiamo in prestito, non
in eredità. Assolutamente importante è il rispetto dovuto alla terra, alla sua strut-
tura, ai suoi cicli affinché io possa vivere con la consapevolezza del cielo sopra di me
e il mondo dentro me.
Come mi piacerebbe festeggiare Tu B’Shevat?......Forse organizzando un’occasione di
condivisione tra le molte persone che conosco e riunirle tutte insieme: persone prob-
lematiche e meno problematiche, persone, economicamente, in situazioni di fragil-
ità sociale e persone abbientiCome mi piacerebbe festeggiare Tu B’Shevat? Forse or-
ganizzando un’occasione di condivisione tra le molte persone che conosco e riunirle
tutte insieme: persone problematiche e meno problematiche, persone, economicamente, in situazioni di fragilità so-
ciale e persone abbienti.
(English) After learning the lesson of Tu B'Shevat, I am even more convinced that (philosopher) Kant represents my
thinking when he says that regarding the earth, we borrow it, and it is not a legacy. Absolutely important is the re-
spect due to the earth, its structure, and its cycles so that I can live with the awareness of the sky above me and the
world inside me. How would I like to celebrate Tu B'Shevat? Perhaps organizing an opportunity for sharing among
the many people I know and bringing them together regardless of economic or social differences. liberty!
13Italy
Rosamorena S.
Ho festeggiato Tu Bishvat , ho mangiato anche un frutto
che non avevo mai assaggiato , il melograno , i datteri ecc..
ecc.. ho piantato dei fiori sul balcone ( delle roselline molto
belle ) e ho donato una pianta in vaso ad una persona che
considero speciale .
(English) I celebrated Tu Bishvat by eating fruits that I had
never tasted, pomegranate, dates etc. .. etc. .. I planted
flowers on the balcony (very beautiful roses) and I donated
a potted plant to a person who I consider special to me.
14Thank you for sharing your Tu B’Shevat celebration!
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