A few days ago was Tu Bishvat – the birthday of the trees. Tu Bishvat was first designated in order to calculate how old are the trees. On this day, the trees are considered to have aged one more year, and all of the trees that are five years or older can be eaten from.

Tu Bishvat is actually the name of the date in the Hebrew calendar. Tu means 15 and Shvat is the name of the month.

On a regular year, we celebrate Tu Bishvat by planting trees and eating dried fruits. I remember every year in school we would plant flowers in the backyard. This year is Shnat Shmita, when we let the land rest. Kind of a sabbatical.  That means that no trees can be planted this year in Israel.

Tu Bishvat is an ecological awareness day in Israel. Did you know that Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21^st century with more trees than before?

Here are a few things that we can learn from the trees:

1. Always stand upright and proud
2. Always look for a bright sunbeam, even if it hides behind a grey cloud
3. Drink plenty of water and take care of yourself
4. Spread a pleasant shade over others and they will do the same for you in difficult moments
5. Appreciate your natural beauty and embrace the changes that the year brings

Noya Bauer is our 2021-2022 Shin-shinim. AShin-shinim is the "year of service program" that offers Israeli high school graduates an opportunity to delay mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces and serve Diaspora communities for up to 10 months. The program allows communities to meet young Israeli ambassadors who perform meaningful service prior to entering the army.