The almond, the moon, and the cupcake tree. An almond, a moon, and a cupcake tree. Almonds, the moon, my cupcake tree, and yours.
It was the afternoon of the evening of January 12th, 2011, also known as Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat and I went to visit my grandchildren.
I have always loved the holiday of Tu B'Shevat- simply named, the 15th of the (Hebrew) month of Shevat. When I was a child I loved the 'treats' we were given in Hebrew School- especially the bokser that I couldn't even bite. I did love trying to make music with it. I was very skeptical ...
What does the game "Musical Chairs" have to do with the upcoming Leadership Training Program Mar. 13-14 at Pearlstone?
Before I answer that, let's explore what the game is all about.
According to Wikipedia, after the music stops "[t]he player who is left without a chair is eliminated from the game, and one chair is also removed to ensure that there will always be one fewer chair than there are players. The music resumes and the cycle repeats until there is only one player left in the game, who is the winner....In the non-competitive version ...
Sviva Israel's Eco Connection has been featured in The Jewish Week.
Here is the article:
A Green Exchange
Israeli, New Jersey teens team up in program to raise environmental awareness and make an Eco Connection.
Michele Chabin
Israel Correspondent
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Seeds of a partnership: New Jerseyites look at soil samples with Israeli sixth graders at the Chalmish School in Arad.
Arad, Israel — Tu b’Shvat, the tree-p...
“When you come into the land and plant.” (Leviticus 19:23) God said to the Jewish people, “Even though you will find the land full of all good things, do not say ‘Wewill sit and not plant,’ but rather, you should be sure to plant.” As it says, “Plant allfood-giving trees.” Just as you entered and found trees that others had planted, sotoo should you plant for your children. A person should not say, “I am old and maydie tomorrow; why should I trouble myself for the sake of others?” [Midrash ...
This past Monday, I organized a “Taste of Tu b’Shevat” event in my local community in Silver Spring, MD. We’ve organized Tu b’Shevat seders for the last five years, but we decided to do things a little differently this year because a) we had some committee exhaustion and b) we sensed that the old model was getting a little stale. However, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to do something!
So, we organized a “Taste of Tu b’Shevat” event. The program took place on January 10 – more than a week ...
One of our favorite Talmudic tales at Eden Village Camp:
One afternoon Choni HaMe’agel was walking beside a road. He saw an old man planting a Carob tree, and asked him: “In how many years will this tree bear fruit?” The old man replied: “70 years!”. “70 years!”, Choni exclaimed, “Do you think you will be alive then?” The old man replied: “I found this world with Carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, I am planting for my children.”
Tu B’Shvat, the Rosh Hashanah for The Trees is ...
As a Jewish environmentalist, are you seeking to inspire environmental change in local or national Jewish communities? Looking for ways to move people that do not always share the same views as you? Jewcology, the new web portal for the global Jewish environmental community, is pleased to offer a special new in-person leadership training opportunity which will empower us to engage those who are not already involved in environmental action, and in so doing, raise the level of environmental engagement across the Jewish community.
In this full-day ...
As a freelance Jewish environmental educator, the 2 weeks surrounding Tu B’shvat might be considered my high holidays. This year I will be teaching in 4 cities, 3 synagogues, and 11 supplemental and day schools in just that window. Yet in the two months following I only have a few random teaching engagements. While those of us in the Jewish environmental field have moved beyond just Tu B’shvat as the core of our work, the remainder of the Jewish world continues to see this one day as their only opportunity to teach Jewish environmental values.
So here ...
As the Tu B’Shvat holiday quickly approaches, I am scrambling to prepare my 6th grade class to lead the annual Tu B’Shvat Seder. This involves a combination of general study on Jewish attitudes towards trees, as well as teaching many specifics such as what blessings to say on each fruit and how to group fruits according to their ‘type.’ As this will be my sixth year leading this seder, I have developed a seder structure that works well for our particular situation.
Rather than having a ‘sit-down’ seder (similar to a ...
Tonight the Silver Spring Sustainability Circle presented us with a tutorial on how to put on a Tu B'shvat Seder.
What is it that is so appealing about using our own and the world's resources in a way that enhances, elevates and renews the land instead of destroying, sapping, and demeaning it?
I think it's the same kind of satisfaction and enjoyment that comes from, say, learning to bake a cake, to ride a bike, solve a math problem, or make a friend -- the feeling that I've figured out how to get it right, how to gain from the world by putting ...
California Grows!
I recently attended the Hazon Food Conference in Sonoma, CA. There, I met numerous others who are working with gardens of all stripes; urban, suburban, rural, educational, communal, and private. I want to highlight a few of the interesting garden or farm projects in California. By sharing these projectsI hope others can learn about what they are doing to engage their communities in environmental and food learning.
First, the Urban Adamah in Berkeley. My understanding of the Urban Adamah is that there are fellows who live ...
Organizing a Tu b'Shevat Seder? Wishing for some beautiful haggadot to share with your community? Until Tuesday, January 11, Canfei Nesharim is offering up to 25 free haggadot for Tu b'Shevat 5771, in our Jewcology special. Simply "follow" Canfei Nesharim on Jewcology, then send us a message via Jewcology with your mailing details - how many you'd like (up to 25) and where the materials should be sent. Orders will be sent out to arrive in time for Tu b’Shevat (by January 19). Chag Tu b'Shevat Sameach!
This post is part of an ongoing discussion about involving young people in environmental activities.
This post in the Building a Movement (BAM) series focuses on the idea of young people spending a year or more after high school connecting with the environment.
In my last BAM post I discussed some of the options that face observant Jewish young people when they finish high school: going to college, getting a job, going to learn in a school that focuses only on Jewish studies, and so on.
For some teenagers, these are not really good options. There are a ...
Canfei Nesharim is offering up to 25 free haggadot for Tu b'Shevat 5771, in our social media special. Simply "like" Canfei Nesharim on facebook and post details of how many haggadot and in what city they will be used. For example "25-Baltimore." We'll contact you via facebook to get your mailing details. Deadline is today: Friday, January 7!
The Jewcology video is almost ready (and looking great!), but we need just a couple more people to submit videos on a quick turnaround (videos need to be in by the end of the weekend). Can you help? If so, please send us a message and we'll get you all the details.
Time is running out to avoid disaster.
This is the refrain that emerges from even a cursory glance at the media’s portrayal of such pressing issues as global climate change, world peace, and economics. In an ever rapidly changing world, in which it seems we have very little control and very little understanding of how we arrived here, disaster seems all but a foregone conclusion. It is unfortunate that the global narrative that is being woven, for the most part, lacks a comprehensive framework within which to take steps to avoid the doom and gloom scenar...
What do Jerusalem and Charlottesville, Virginia have in common? Each has a highly successful pedestrian mall designed by Lawrence Halpin. Jerusalem has Rechov Ben-Yehudah (Ben Yehudah Street). Charlottesville has the Downtown Mall. You might be wondering what the significance of all this is, but all that will get cleared up momentarily.
Pedestrian malls as well as highways, rail lines, suburbs, and cities are all human artifacts. Designed by landscape architects, architects, and urban planners, these spaces at their best are a reflection of the culture and ...
