Last updated 9:55 a.m. EDT on 6/6/97.

On Tu B'Shevat, We Plant Trees

Hey, wait a minute! The ground is covered with snow and ice! What kind of idiot is going to go out and plant trees at this time of year?

Good question. It may be cold and wintry here in the northern United States, but over in Israel the seasons are a little different. The almond trees are just starting to bloom at this time of year and the promise of spring in is the air. In modern Jewish American life, Tu B'Shevat has become yet another day to identify with the land of Israel and to feel kinship with our brothers and sisters there.

So maybe we don't go out in our back yards and plant trees. But we do gather together and taste the fruits of Israel -- the land "flowing with milk and honey". And we send money to Israel, often through the Jewish National Fund, so that children and adults in Israel can plant trees for us.

Read more about customs on Tu B'Shevat.
Read some stories, poems, and thoughts about trees.

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