Tu BiShvat

Tu BiShvat is the "Jewish New Year of the Trees."

Tu BiShvat's Origins

Tu BiShvat is the "Jewish New Year of the Trees." The holiday is observed on the 15th (tu) of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Scholars believe that originally Tu BiShvat was an agricultural festival, marking the emergence of spring. In the 17th century, Kabbalists created a ritual for Tu BiShvat that is similar to a Passover sederSederסֵדֶר"Order;" ritual dinner that includes the retelling of the story of the Israelite's Exodus from Egypt; plural: s'darim.. Today, many Jews hold a modern version of the Tu BiShvat seder each year. The holiday also has become a tree-planting festival in Israel, in which Israelis and Jews around the world plant trees in honor or in memory of loved ones and friends.

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BimBam video about Tu BiShvat screen shot

Tu BiShvat Tale: Honi Comes Full Circle for the Jewish Birthday of the Trees

Straight from the Talmud (the many-volume encyclopedia of Jewish law and discussions about it), Bim Bam brings you...Honi the Circle Maker! Watch this and other engaging videos about Tu BiShvat.

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