Tu Bishvat in Siberia: Roots in Frozen Ground

In the Siberian city of Ulan Ude, every Tu Bishvat, the Jewish residents plant trees. Not in frozen ground - they know this a task doomed to failure. Instead, they have found more innovative ways to celebrate the Jewish New Year of Trees that is traditionally celebrated by planting saplings.

"It is well below freezing outside, and the ground is impenetrable," describes Alexander, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Jewish Renewal Coordinator in JDC's Krasnoyarsk, Siberia office, which serves the entire region. "So children plant seedlings indoors, or community members decorate artificial trees with colorful, paper leaves." The traditional Tu Bishvat seder, a festive meal where fruits of the new harvest are eaten, is also a popular indoor way of marking this holiday.

Indeed, while Tu Bishvat in Israel falls at a time in the Hebrew calendar when spring is approaching, there is no sign of ice thawing in this region, where winter lasts for a large part of the year, and temperatures dive to below 22 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of winter, and remain that low for months.

"The contrast between the extreme cold outside and the warmth of the festivities inside gives a true picture of the Jewish community in Siberia," explained Benny, the JDC representative for Siberia and the Russian Far East. "The community goes out of its way to maintain its ties to Judaism, and to celebrate the holiday just like in Israel."

Jews in Siberia and throughout the FSU also use this holiday as an opportunity to aid less fortunate members of their Jewish community. For instance, communal seders are held for needy elderly, as part of a continued effort to combat their loneliness, isolation and hunger. Some local JDC-supported Hesed Welfare Centers also include a one-time supplement of dried fruits in the regularly delivered Hesed food packages. Homecare workers may bring a basket of dried fruits, or a gathering of elderly in a "Warm Home" may include a lecture about the holiday and a small meal.

The leaders of the Siberian Jewish communities recognize that the holiday of Tu Bishvat is an opportunity to involve all community members, including the unaffiliated, through innovative activities. Benny explains the holiday's attraction: "Since Tu Bishvat is more a cultural celebration, rather than a religious holiday, it is one that lends itself to flexibility and creativity," he explains. "Jewish communities throughout Siberia and the former Soviet Union plan activities for all ages, ranging from indoor planting for kindergarteners to concerts and communal seders for families. This year is no different."

The wide range of holiday activities are clearly illustrated by a selection of Tu Bishvat events in Siberia, as described by Marshalik: "In Tomsk, the local community center was turned into a beautiful orchard of colorful paper trees; in Novosibirsk, the local kindergartens planted saplings; and in Birobijan, representatives of the Chinese Kharbin Jewish community were guests of the city's Jews, where they shared a Chinese tale of planting trees in winter." Ulan Ude, like these Siberian cities, held similar events this year.

Despite the frozen ground, their proximity to Mongolia and China and their distance from Israel, once again Tu Bishvat has brought the Jews of Ulan Ude much closer to Israel and world Jewry. Indeed, through the celebration of festivals such as Tu Bishvat, the Jews of Siberia are holding fast to their roots.