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Tu Bishvat Seders

January 20, 2012

So you're interested in celebrating Tu Bishvat. Many of us didn't grow up celebrating this holiday, but with its deep connection to tree and the environment, meaningful attributes associated with food, and room for innovation and adaptation, it's easily become a favorite holiday for many.

For a quick overview of a Tu Bishvat seder (seder, meaning order in Hebrew, is used here to mean a meal eaten in an ordered way — think of a Passover seder), check out our video (below), booklet or this introductory article.

Ready to jump in? Here are some of our favorite guides to hosting your own Tu Bishvat seder:

Hebrew for "15th of [the month of] Shevat," both a date and the name of a holiday celebrated on that date. A holiday that falls in January or February, it's the New Year for trees. The spring holiday commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew name is "Pesach." Hebrew for "telling," the text that outlines the order of the Passover seder. There are many, many versions of this book, which dates back almost 2,000 years. Because we are commanded to expand upon the story, the Haggadah contains ancient interpretations, as well as stage directions and explanations, for the Passover meal. A language of West Semitic origins, culturally considered to be the language of the Jewish people. Ancient or Classical Hebrew is the language of Jewish prayer or study. Modern Hebrew was developed in the late-19th and early 20th centuries as a revival language; today it is spoken by most Israelis.
Hebrew for "my master," the term refers to a spiritual leader and teacher of Torah. Often, but not always, a rabbi is the leader of a synagogue congregation. Hebrew for "order," refers to the traditional course of events, or service, surrounding the Passover and Tu Bishvat meals.
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