Tu B’Shvat Resources

Tu B’Shvat (Hebrew: ט״ו בשבט) is a minor 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.

Tu B’Shvat begins sundown Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Fresh for 2012:

Healthy, Sustainable Tu’Shvat Resources from Hazon: tips for hosting a sustainable seder, finding sustainable seven species options, and partaking in environmentally-friendly Tu B’Shvat themed activities
Pinot and Pomegranate: The Best Tu B’Shvat Party in NYC, Wednesday, February 8th, NYC
Taste of Hazon: A Culinary Celebration of Tu B’Shvat, Tuesday, February 7th, Philadelphia
Adult Seder at Urban Adamah, Tuesday, February 7th, Berkeley, CA
Tree b’Earthday: Tu B’Shvat Retreat at Isabella Freedman, February 3-5, Falls Village, CT
Tu B’Shvat Happenings in Denver and Boulder, Colorado
For Tu B’Shevat: Seeing Jewish Farming from the Jewish Museum Blog

Free Tu B’Shvat Resources

Right-click and choose “save as” if you are having trouble downloading.

Tu B’Shvat Seder and Sourcebook

Download our comprehensive, pluralistic, beautiful haggadah and source book. Complete with teachings and explanations, our haggadah is available in PDF format so you may print as few or as many copies as you need.

You may also download our Haggadah in booklet form. Be sure to print with your settings set for landscape and double-sided. This will result in 7 pages which you can fold and staple in the middle.

Leader’s Guide

Download Hazon’s Tu B’Shvat Seder Leader’s Guide. It’s everything you ever wanted to know about hosting a Tu B’Shvat Seder but were afraid to ask! Our guide contains tips for preparation, leading an engaging seder and making it your own.

Family Seder

Download Hazon’s Tu B’Shvat Family Seder for families with school age kids. Complete with games and family friendly language, our abbreviated family seder is perfect for the all ages table.

Music and Songs

We’ve compiled a great selection of music for you to make your seder a more multi-faceted experience. Our Haggadah and Leader’s Guide have suggestions of when to use these songs and we invite you to integrate any or all of these songs in to your seder.

G-dcast’s Tu B’Shvat Episode

G-dcast is an educational media company that makes accessible and entertaining media, including animated shorts, feature-length films and games, that introduce viewers to core Jewish texts. They’ve created a Tu B’Shvat cartoon and free curricula to accompany the video. Visit G-dcast’s home.