Yesterday we celebrated Tu B'Shevat (15th of Shevat), the Jewish New Year for the Trees.
Yes you heard right, smack in the middle of the Winter we are celebrating a new year for the trees.
The Talmud explains that the reason for this celebration, is to mark four months into the rainy season in the Land of Israel, and the beginning of the season of growth.
Although things may actually only start to visibly grow when the Spring actually starts, the Talmud states that we mark the time in the year, since the nutrients and water have fully saturated the ground, and the process of growth can begin to happen once again.
Indeed, according to modern research, tree roots can continue to grow at a slow pace even during the height of… Read More »
I guess I am like many others and Social Media took me down.
At 3:58pm on Wednesday afternoon a Holocaust Survivor phoned me to tell me how unnerved she is by what she was seeing unfolding live on TV. In the minutes that followed, I started to receive multiple texts and calls from concerned people as they watched the terrible events happening in DC with an unknown path of where this would end. Like them I followed the actions with trepidation and concern, as my stomach churned and I prayed for a peaceful and calm outcome.