Tu B'Shevat: Rosh Hashanah for Trees

The following was written by Esther, a JDC staff member in India, who recently participated in the Young Judaea Shalem Program, made possible by JDC and the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America in Israel. She, along with another young Jewish Indian woman traveled to Israel for the Jewish leadership training program. Esther was raised in Mumbai in a traditional/religious home. Her family is Bene Israel.

All trees have their birthday on Tu B’Shevat. Tu is constructed from the Hebrew letters ‘tet’ and ‘vav’. ‘Tet’ is the ninth letter and ‘Vav’ is the sixth letter and hence 9+6=15 and so Tu B’Shevat is the 15th of Shevat. On this day, work is not prohibited. No festive meals are required and no special prayers are added to the regular prayer services. It is customary to eat a new fruit, which one has not yet eaten in the present year, so that the "bracha" or blessing of SheHecheyanu may be said. Trees were so special to the Jews that even during the war people were forbidden to hurt fruit trees. "When you are in war with another city you must not destroy its’ trees. You may eat from them, but you must not cut them down for food." [Deuteronomy 20:19-20].

Some people planted a tree each time they had a new baby so the tree could grow just as the child did. When the child grew up and was married branches from those special trees were used to make the wedding canopy. After the Holy One, Blessed Be He, created the first man, He took him and had him pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden, and said to him: "see my works, how fine and excellent they are ! Now all the that I created was created for you. Think about this and do not harm the world: for if you harm it, there will be none to fix it after you" [Koheleth Rabbah 7:23]

We are all responsible for the future of our planet. But in order to change routine behaviour we need to examine our old habits. We need to work at making the world healthy and safe for future generations - and not just on Tu B’Shevat.

In February 2004, the Jewish community in Mumbai and the surrounding areas will hold their Tu B'Shevat seder, highlighting the theme of nature. To read about the 2003 Tu B'Shevat seder, please click here.

To read a personal reflection on Esther's experience in Israel, and how it now influences her in India, please click here.