Tu B’Shevat: Interfaith-Friendly, Jewish in Nature

My family never really celebrated Tu B’Shevat, though I do have faint recollections of making little tree-shaped hats in Hebrew school to mark the occasion. As an adult I’ve noticed that Tu B’Shevat seders are catching on among environmentally minded Jews like me, so I decided to throw one.

Since it was my first time at a Tu B’Shevat seder, I was on equal footing with many of our guests who were either not Jewish or were but didn’t know their Tu B’Shevat from their Lag B’Omer.

The seder was a huge hit, and I strongly recommend having one, especially if you’re looking for an activity that is interfaith-friendly but still Jewish in nature. Who doesn’t want to hang out, have a few drinks and talk about fruit?

I was raised in a Reform congregation and my girlfriend grew up in a more religious evangelist Christian household. Her dad was also the pastor of their church. As adults we’re both religious pluralists, a position that is never more apparent than at the gatherings we often hold at our apartment. I went to Brandeis (also know as “Jew U”), she went to Gordon, a non-denominational but very much Christian college, and our parties are often a 50-50 blend of alumni from both institutions. We were curious to see what it would be like to have that same crowd at a religiously themed event.

Fortunately, Tu B’Shevat isn’t “religious” in any way that might be off-putting. There is no reference to the holiday in the Torah, meaning there are no commandments governing its observance. What I gathered from my research is that, like many Jewish holidays, it all comes down to food.

Tu B’Shevat is a holiday that focuses on trees, and is know as both the “Jewish Arbor Day” and the “New Year for Trees.” The date coincides with the blossoming of the first fruit trees in Israel; hence we celebrate by consuming various foods that come from trees and/or Israel, such as figs and pomegranates. Given my personal food ethics, I also wanted to incorporate local, seasonal fruits from New England.
Luckily one of our guests was wild foods expert Russ Cohen, who contributed toasted shagbark hickory nuts and homemade chicory ice cream, both of which were fantastic and included ingredients made from foraged foods. We also popped a bottle of West County Cider’s Reine de Pomme, a hard cider made entirely in state, and we drank pine tea brewed from needles gathered in the woods behind the house.

Of course there were Israeli tree goodies such as stuffed dates, flatbread topped with goat cheese, caramelized shallots and more dates, salad with a pomegranate reduction vinaigrette and roasted sweet potatoes glazed with palm sugar. I also wanted to have something in season from my childhood home in South Florida, so I decided on broiled grapefruit. My girlfriend may not be Jewish, but she can make picture perfect challah from scratch and by heart, and a chef friend of mine whipped up a lemon curd and banana cream pie. The pie was so popular that everyone accidentally ate the parchment paper it was served on, mistaking it for part of the flakey, orange blossom water crust.

Like many Jewish practices, with Tu B’Shevat you can go as deep as you care to. There are established prayers associated with the holiday, such as saying the shehekhianu blessing on new experiences for eating a fruit that you haven’t had in a while. In the spirit of inclusivity, we decided on a simple combination of feasting and discussion.

Tu B’Shevat gains popularity as environmental awareness grows. Many are attracted to the themes of gratitude and stewardship inherent in the holiday. Russ told us how he has planted cherry, peach and apricot trees around the Boston area. Once the ground thaws, I fully intend to do the same. He also shared a Chinese saying that seemed perfectly appropriate for the occasion: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Aaron Kagan is a freelance writer living in the Boston area. He blogs at http://teaandfood.blogspot.com.