ISRAEL--A JEWISH STATE??

ISRAEL—A JEWISH STATE
This begins a series on what makes Israel a Jewish State. This being the day after Tu B’shvat it seemed appropriate to discuss the difference between this day in Israel and in the U.S.
How many non-observant Jews in the United States commemorate Tu B’shvat? Before Israel’s modern sovereignty was achieved, a city with a large Jewish population like Philadelphia, where I grew up, called it “New Year of the Trees”. As children we spent all year filling the Jewish National Fund (a Hadassah organization) and Karen Kayemet L”Yisrael blue boxes. We thought we were collecting money to plant trees in Palestine. Where Palestine was and why we needed to plant trees there was lost in the excitement of arriving at Sunday school with a blue box full of coins for the New Year of the Trees. Today Hadassah continues to furnish the blue boxes for the Jewish National Fund.
How many of us are educating our children of this important holiday which today has added an environmental or “green” component?
The awareness of this holiday in Israel permeates every part of life, observant Jews as well as semi-observant, which most Israelis are, or even the completely non-observant. How is this awareness brought about here where it is less of a religious observance and more of a appreciation of nature and the responsibility for and beauty of this amazing country.
First of all, every newspaper runs articles about the different aspects of the holiday. Tu b’Shvat is integrated into television programming especially children’s programming. Grocery stores have sidewalk displays of typical of Tu B’Shvat foods, every type of dried fruit, often in gift trays, wines, and baskets of fresh fruit. Advertisers find appropriate ways to add Tu B’shvat to their promotions. This creates an atmosphere that insures everyone is aware of the holiday and is reminded of the 7species. This is an excellent and painless way to maintain awareness, but is passive. Activities around this holiday are organized in all parts of the State. Many individual families have Tu B’Shvat Seders.
There are so many activities commemorating this day that newspapers print activity supplements. Most of these activities relate to nature. Tree planting events are common; we saw this year the Prime Minister planting trees in Judea and Samaria. Teachers take their students on tree planting field trips.
Family and adult activities abound. From January 29th (the day before Tu B’Shvat, this year the holiday falls on Shabbat) through February 28th the Scarlet South Festival in the Negev occurs. Tours through the Be’eri and Ruhama Forests that KKL-JNF has been developing for nearly 100 years. A March of the Anemones in memory of Shoshana Damari ending with a musical festival is worth visiting.
The Scenic Lookout and Trail in Adamit Park is a popular place on this day. Two huge commemorative rocks, dedicated to Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser at the beginning of the trail that leads to Keshet Cave in Adamit Park near the Lebanese Border, where Hizbullah crossed into Israel and kidnapped the two men on patrol there and murdering three of their fellow soldiers, the straw that broke the camel’s back, and brought about the Hizbullah war in 2006.
There are so many Hikes, bike trips and tree planting events all over the country that one can pick and choose to please many different interests. You can walk the flowery paths in Ramot Menashe Park, and on the Gilboa Road as well as the Ilanot and Beeri Forests. Interested in ecology? Visit the Martyrs Forest. Few ecological studies are conducted anywhere in the world on such a large scale and for such an extended period of time. Visiting Jerusalem Forests will give you a positive view of the future of forests that could be applied around the world.
Like Marathons? Dead Sea half marathon includes a hand bike half marathon, a 10km race and walk and a 2km children’s race. There are many other hiking and biking events.
The Jerusalem Nine-Eleven Monument, a living memorial was dedicated in time to visit it on this day. It is magnificent and one should be sure to visit it when you are in Jerusalem.
Let me know if you have stories around Tu b’Shvat to add. If you register on this blog you can add your comments or stories or ideas for future blogs.