Source: Hazon
Tu B’Shvat, the new year for the trees, begins Sunday evening, January 20, 2019 and is celebrated through sundown on Monday, January 21, 2019.
Tu B’Shvat is an ancient celebration of the new year for trees. It has changed and evolved over twenty centuries, and has never been more vital or significant than it is today. We live in an era in which sustainable forestry is more widely practiced than ever before, yet deforestation is a powerful driver of climate change and loss of biodiversity. Trees play important roles in some of the most challenging environmental issues of our time, and the way we use them is important, even in ways you might not expect. For a simple example: saving paper does not just “save trees,” but also prevents burning fossil fuels in transportation and processing.
The resources below, including the newly updated 2019 Hazon Tu B’Shvat Haggadah, offer thoughts and ideas to help you celebrate Tu B’Shvat in your home or community. The texts, questions, activities, and suggestions below can serve as guides for viewing Tu B’Shvat through fresh eyes and recontextualizing the tradition.