By Jeffrey Catalano
Assistant Editor
On Sunday, February 1, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Northern Hills Synagogue will be hosting its annual “Tu Bishvat Fair.” This family-friendly event will be a joyful celebration of nature and will emphasize humanity’s role in caring for the earth.
The children and families who attend this event will get to explore a wide variety of hands-on, creatively-inspired stations, which will be focused on nature, the environment, recycling, animals, trees and planting.
Tu Bishvat is a Jewish holiday meaning the “New Year of Trees.” It is meant to celebrate the earth’s renewal, and has ancient roots as an agricultural festival. In modern times, it’s often celebrated by planting trees and eating fruits.
In a more general sense, Tu Bishvat is a day where nature is meant to be honored and appreciated. This year, Tu Bishvat starts on the evening of Sunday, February 1, and will last until Monday, February 2. Each year, the holiday falls on the 15th of Shevat.
The exceptionally creative “Tu Bishvat Fair” will be led by community organizations and educators, and some of the fun activities for families and their kids will include searching for fossils, planting seeds to take home and look after, learning about recycling and reusing materials, meeting and petting animals, yoga and even cupcake-making. The cupcakes will be decorated to look like trees to celebrate the “New Year of Trees.”
All these actives and more will be held at “Tu Bishvat Fair” on February 1 at Northern Hills Synagogue.
