ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: When was the Jewish National Fund founded, and how many trees has it planted since then?
This week we’re celebrating Tu B’Shevat. It’s a minor holiday, often referred to as the “birthday of the trees”, but there is more to it than just that. The holiday originated in the Talmud, and was based on the date chosen for calculating the agricultural cycle of taking tithes from the produce of the trees, which were brought as first-fruit offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. In contemporary Israel the theme most commonly ascribed to the holiday is the environment. It is considered a festival of nature, full of joy and thankfulness for creation in anticipation of the renewal of the natural world. During this festival, Jews recall the sacred obligation to care for the world, and the responsibility to share the fruits of the earth with all.
This week we’re speaking with Yosef Penhos, the Director of Seminars, Exhibitions and Workshops of the Marketing Department of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, who will tell us about Tu B’Shevat and how it is celebrated in Israel.
Here’s the link to a special treat: an easy and delicious Israeli recipe for Tu B’Shevat.
