Celebrating Tu B’shvat… By Living Up in a Tree?

Jewish camp directors spend week aloft in a redwood “tree-sit” In preparation for Tu B’shvat, my husband and I lived this past week 150 feet up in the air into an ancient and endangered redwood tree in northern California. We cooked, slept and made Shabbat in the over-200-year-old trees as part of an environmental protection action, called “tree-sitting”, to keep the trees from being cut down. Our grove included 50 redwoods connected by ziplines; these trees would have been cut down three years ago were it not for the continual presence of “tree-sitters” living high up in them. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, and are increasingly endangered by logging. We took our cue from the reminder of Tu B’Shvat to care for and pay attention to our trees. Living in a redwood was like living in the lungs of the earth! Tu B’shvat marks the moment in early Spring when sap begins to rise in the trees. Our mystics pointed to a parallel stirring inside ourselves during this holiday. It was incredible to connect our inner journeys with the lives of these ancient redwoods. While not living in a tree, we serve as founding directors of Eden Village Camp, the first and only Jewish organic farm-to-table sleepaway camp, which is entering its third season with 300 campers expected. We're hosting hands-on family workshops on how to make syrup from maple trees at Eden Village (in Putnam Valley, NY) on March 25 and April 1. We're also leading various Tu B’shvat events – please join us! www.edenvillagecamp.org, 877-397-3336.


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