Tu BiSh’vat

Here, at Temple Beth Hillel, it has become our tradition to celebrate Tu BiSh’vat with a special seder following Kabbalat Shabbat service. Come and enjoy a tasting of a variety of fruits, some familiar and some exotic. No reservation required.

Tu BiSh’vat is the New Year of the Trees. Its name is derived from its date on the Hebrew calendar. In the Hebrew aleph-bet each letter has a numerical value. This system is called “ gematria .” The Hebrew “Tu” is made up of a tet , which has the value of nine, and a vov , which has the value of six. Together the two letters equal 15. Tu B’Shvat occurs on the 15 th day of the Hebrew month Sh’vat. Tu BiSh’vat marked the time, determined by the sages, when the trees were nourished by the rains of the new year, as opposed to the rain of the previous year. Another name for Tu BiSh’vat is Rosh HaShanah L’Ilanot –the New Year of the Trees.Tradition teaches that on Tu BiSh’vat a heavenly court judges the trees and pronounces their fate–which trees will thrive and which will wither.