Today, February 1, is an interesting convergence for us as American Jews living in New England! Not only is it Super Bowl Sunday, but we are rooting for our beloved home team, the New England Patriots!
Go Pats!
For Religious School today everyone was invited to show their support for the Patriots by wearing fan gear.
But our eyes are also turned eastward to Israel, because today at school we are celebrating Tu B’Shvat, which begins Tuesday night, Feb.3 and into Wednesday, Feb. 4 this year. (following the Jewish calendar where a day starts at night, in this case, the 15th of Shvat) In modern times this holiday has been expanded to include issues of environmentalism, but at heart, the holiday focuses on Israel in its celebration of the land’s produce, especially the Seven Species that are symbolic of the unique beauty of the land and our special bond to it. We’ll be doing a planting of parsley at school; while at home you can celebrate on Tuesday evening or Wednesday by putting a bowl of fruit on the table, especially the fruit through which Israel is blessed: dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives. It’s fun to add an Israeli flag and even pictures of the fruit trees as they grow in Israel. Especially when we just endured a huge snowstorm, how cozy to share with your family the fruits of a warm climate and the love of Israel!