Tu B’Shvat Sustainable Resources

If you live in an area with a variety of seasonal, winter offerings, use this to your advantage by eating local. In the south, citrus fruits are in season and can provide a great addition to the Tu B’Shvat celebration: try citrus curls in your drinks, lemon curd for dessert, or roast chicken with oranges and lemons inside.

Host a Tu B’Shvat seder focusing on the environmental benefits of fair trade. Use fair trade certified dried dates, almonds, and walnuts at your Tu B’Shvat seder.

In modern times, Tu B’Shvat has been transformed into a holiday embracing nature, which allows us to focus our intentions on many environmental areas. In addition to supporting sustainable eating, try to cut down waste by using reusable, or compostable, dishes and recycle when possible.

Collect leftover fruit and vegetable scraps from your Tu B’Shvat seder and add them to your compost pile (or bring them to a composting facility). You’re kicking off the new year of the trees by contributing to soil fertility and the cycles of life!

Tu B’Shvat is a great time to start a garden, with sufficient time to start growing so that you can put the garden to use during Pesach! So, take the time during this holiday to plant with the family and enjoy homegrown fruits and veggies. If you don’t have a place to garden, there are plenty of ways to grow veggies and plants indoors.

This program celebrates the holiday of Tu B’Shevat and includes both traditional rituals and modern connections to environmentalism and eco-friendly Jewish practice. The seder takes place as a full multi-course dinner, incorporating the four traditional types of fruit into four courses. Between each set of courses is a relevant activity or discussion,
including a keynote panel with representatives from local environmental nonprofits.
Tu B’Shevat Seder: Jewish Ritual/Food Justice/Community Education

This program is an opportunity for families to celebrate Tu B’Shvat through learning about local ecology, connecting to nature, and understanding the essence of this Jewish holiday on a community hike.
Program length: 1.5 hrs
Audience: Kids ages 1-10 & parents
Participants: 50
Location: Local Park with Trees
Tu B’Shvat Family Nature Hike

A Tu Bishvat Seder is a fun experiential way to connect to a little known Jewish holiday, bringing to life ecological teachings, enjoying fruit from around the world, drinking good wine and of course fostering social connections.
Length: 2 hours
Audience: Young Adults ages 21-35
With the help of the JCC Rabbi, the Mayerson JCC hosted their first Tu Bishvat Seder for Young Adults in 2017 following this curriculum. 

Young Adult Tu B’shevat Seder

Honor the Trees, Journey through the Senses, & Experience the Magic of Ritual
Time frame: ~50 minutes
For children ages 4-13, divided into three groups: 4-6 year olds, 7-9 year olds, & 10-13 year olds
Wilderness Torah’s Tu B’Shvat in the Redwoods

Bring your lunch and learn more about the Jewish New Year of Trees in this engaging seder. Program goals and outcomes are outlined below.
• Participants will understand what Tu B’Shevat is and why we celebrate this holiday
• Participants will know the four worlds of Kabbalah and understand how each is associated with traditional Israeli fruit and nuts
• Participants will be able to identify distinct ways they can make a positive difference in preserving the environment
Length of Program: 60 minutes
Tu B’Shevat seder for Staff

Tu B’Shvat (Hebrew: ט״וּ בִּשְׁבָט, Tu Bee-Shvat) is a Jewish holiday in the Hebrew month of Shvat, usually sometime in late January or early February, that marks the “New Year of the Trees” (Hebrew:ראש השנה לאילנות, Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot‎). Tu B’Shvat is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah. Customs include planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, especially figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds. In Israel, the flowering of the almond tree, which grows wild around the country, coincides with Tu B’Shvat.

In the Middle Ages, Tu B’Shvat was celebrated with a feast of fruits in keeping with the Mishnaic description of the holiday as a “New Year.” In the 1600s, the kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed and his disciples instituted a Tu B’Shvat seder in which the fruits and trees of the Land of Israel were given symbolic meaning. The main idea was that eating ten specific fruits and drinking four cups of wine in a specific order while reciting the appropriate blessings would bring human beings, and the world, closer to spiritual perfection.

In Israel, the kabbalistic Tu B’Shvat seder has been revived, and is now celebrated by many Jews, religious and secular. Special haggadot have been written for this purpose.
In modern times, many Jewish organizations, including Hazon, have connected Tu B’Shvat to the issues on sustainability and environmental awareness. This year, we would like to have Tu B’Shvat Shabbat tables across America discussing sustainability and environmental issues. Hazon can help you plan a menu and prepare text for discussion.

Read Nigel Savage’s piece, “Beyond ‘The Four Worlds’: Creating Meaning in Your Tu B’Shvat Seder”

We’ve compiled a great selection of music for you to make your seder a more multi-faceted experience.
Follow these links to listen to some of the songs that we recommend for Tu’Bsvhat Seders.
Adamah
Sanctuary
Shirat Ha’Asavim
Learn to Live
The Ocean
The Tree Song

Harachaman by Rabbi David Seidenberg

The words of this blessing were written by Rabbi David Seidenberg. Nili Simhai made it into a singable liturgy by setting the words to the “Sosne Nigun” by Jonah Adels, z”l. Harachaman blessings come after the main part of the blessing after the meals, and they ask for special blessings, including blessings related to Shabbat and holidays. Sing it at your Tu B’Shvat seder and at every meal this whole Shmita year! Click here for words and melody.

• 4 medium apples, cored
• 4 thin strips lemon rind
• 1/2 cup dried currants or dried cherries
• 1 whole vanilla bean, cut into 4 pieces
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Place apples in a baking dish with glass lid
Stuff with lemon rind, currants, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sticks
Drizzle with lemon juice
Scatter remaining currants around apples
Bake covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-75 minutes
Originally from: Elana’s Pantry

• 1 cup pistachios, shelled
• 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 20 large dates – pits removed

In a food processor, pulse pistachios, orange juice, orange zest, and salt
With a sharp knife, make a slit on one side of each date (and remove the pit if necessary)
Place filling in dates
Serve
Originally from: Elana’s Pantry

Bread:

• 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 3 1/2- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup barley or almond flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup plant-based milk
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs or egg replacers

Filling:

• 1 cup dried figs, cut in half
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine or grape juice
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• date honey
• slivered almonds

Place yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Add lukewarm water and set aside until foamy, around 5-10 mins.
In a stand mixer fitted with dough hook or a large bowl, mix together flours, sugar vanilla and cinnamon. Start with 3 1/2 cups of flour, add more later if dough seems sticky. Add milk and olive oil.
Add eggs one at a time.
When dough begins to come together, after about 3-5 mins, turn out onto a floured surface and knead vigorously for 5-10 mins. Or if using a stand mixer, switch to high and mix another 4-5 mins. Dough should be shiny, elastic and very soft when it is done. If dough is sticking too much, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough is no longer sticking.
Place dough in a greased bowl with damp towel on top – allow to rise for 1-2 hours.
Combine all filling ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce for 10 mins, until liquid has reduced to slightly more than half. Allow to cool slightly. Place in food processor and pulse.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
Cut dough into two parts. Roll out each section of dough until it is a rectangular-like shape. Spread with filling. Working from the shorter side, roll up dough using quick fingers, like you would in order to make a cinnamon roll.
Once the dough is a long log, cut it straight down the middle so the filling is exposed. Secure the ends on one side, and twist both the pieces. Pinch and secure at the other end.
Place in a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise another 10-2- mins. Sprinkle top with slivered almonds if desired (this is optional)
Bake 30-35 mins.
Top with date honey if desired.

Originally from myjewishlearning’s The Nosher.