Dr. Elan Ezrachi will be leading Shabbat morning Torah study at TBJ on February 7 at 8:45am.

Shabbat Morning Torah Study: Tu B’shvat (the 15th of the month of Shevat): A New Holiday is Born

In ancient times Tu B’shvat was an administrative day, marking the transition from one tax year to the other. In the twentieth century, the Zionist movement added a new layer to the ancient foundation and created a holiday that symbolizes the return to the ancestral land.  

In this session we will learn how the new-old holiday became a feature of the new Hebrew culture, its symbols, images and rituals. Similarly, we will examine how universal motifs came into the scene, making Tu B’shvat the Jewish environmental celebration.