Community Tu B’Shevat Community Seder

Tu B’Shevat is the Jewish New Year for Trees – a moment to pause and reflect on our relationship to the natural world into which we are so intricately woven. 

This year join local Reconstructionist congregations – Adat Shalom, Columbia Jewish Congregation, Mishkan Torah and Oseh Shalom – for a virtual community seder 

Along with leading a virtual seder we will host two environmental learnings that can help you put your love for the trees into action:
1) the power of native plant gardening 
2) Maryland environmental legislation this session 

During our seder we will partake of the fruits of the trees, sing our hearts out in gratitude and reflect on environmental stewardship through a Reconstructionist Jewish lens. 

Here is what you will need to prepare:

1) TREE fruits. Ideally, you need at least one fruit in each of the following categories (and we encourage you to get creative and to choose fruits that fit your dietary needs and/or…fruits that are native to Maryland!):

• tree fruit with an inedible shell (e.g. oranges, bananas, nuts, coconut)
• tree fruit with a pit or seed (cherries, plums, apricots, olives)
• tree fruit that’s edible all the way through (figs, mulberries, apples, pears)

You can use fresh fruits or dried fruit. On your table, you can have one fruit in each category, or several. You can opt to try a new fruit that you’ve never had before, and say the shehecheyanu for trying something new. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you want!

2) Grape juice or wine, both white and red. You’ll need enough for four symbolic cups: one white, one white with a bit of red in it, one red with a bit of white in it, and one red. (NOTE:We will be mixing the white and red to create different colors in the glass, so no need to use the expensive stuff)

Please register here by Wednesday, February 1. Zoom link will be shared a few days before the seder. 

Whether you are a nature novice or an environmental maven this is the place for you!