The holiday of Tu B’Shvat begins this evening. It is also called the Holiday of the Trees, and in modern times is celebrated as such. It can in some ways be compared to Arbor Day, though it has deep roots in the Tanach (Hebrew bible) and Mishnah and Talmud.

Tu B’Shvat, the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month Shvat, was set in the Mishnah as the cut off date for the eating of fruits from new trees. For the first three years after planting, Jews are not supposed to eat the fruit from new trees.

Since the early 19th century it has become the holiday for planting new trees, any tree, not just fruit tree. In modern Israel it is customary for schools to arrange days of tree planting on Tu B’Shvat, in cooperation with the Keren Kayemet (Jewish National Fund), and local authorities.
In most years more than one million Israelis will participate in tree planting throughout the country.

As with any holiday, there are the traditional foods. Since Tu B’Shvat falls in the middle of winter, when few fresh fruits are available, the traditional foods are based on dried fruits, almonds, prunes, raisins, dried apricots and figs, among others.

Happy Tu B’Shvat

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Christmas is a time of joy, of being together with family and loved ones, of giving and receiving.

Here in the land where Jesus was born, Christmas is not an official holiday, but is very much celebrated by the Christian communities, as well as visitors.

Manger Square at Christmas

The main mass takes place in St. Catherine’s Church Bethlehem, and in the Grotto of Nativity in the Church of the Nativity. The celebrations start long before the mass, with the arrival of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Click here for full details.
You have to purchase tickets to attend this mass, and only specially invitees will attend inside the Church. Most will see and hear the mass while standing outside in Manger Square.
If you ever do attend, remember to bring warm clothes. December can be very cold, even raining.

There are plenty of other places where you can participate in Christmas celebration in Jerusalem or Bethlehem or other places.

Below is a list of some of the services being held, either in English or multi lingual.

LATIN PATRIARCATE OF JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM – CHURCH OF NATIVITY, Bethlehem
DECEMBER 24 (Saturday)
1.00 pm                                          Beginning of celebrations
DECEMBER 25 (Sunday)
0.00 am at St. Catherine                  PONTIFICAL EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION (Tickets required)

PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE – NOTRE DAME OF JERUSALEM CENTER,
New Gate, Tel. 6279111, Fax: 6271995
24 Dec.: 11.30 pm Carols and Christmas Midnight Mass (Multi-lingual)
25 Dec.: 10.00 am Solemn High Mass (Multi-lingual)
6.30 pm Holy Mass (Multi-lingual)

ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL OF ST. GEORGE,
20 Nablus Road, Tel. 6271670, Fax: 6273847, www.j-diocese.org
24 Dec.: 4.00 pm Carol Service in the Shepherds Field (YMCA) of Beit Sahour (Arabic/English)(reservations required)
11.30 pm Holy Eucharist “Midnight Mass” for the feast of the Nativity at the Cathedral, Jerusalem (Arabic/English)

CHRIST CHURCH, Jaffa Gate, Tel. 6277727/9, Fax: 6282999
24 Dec.: 7.00 pm -10.00 pm Christmas Carols in the Church
24 Dec: 10.30 pm Nine Lessons and Carols with Eucharist
25 Dec.: 10.30 am Family Christmas Service with Eucharist

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER,
Old City, Muristan Road, Tel. 6266800, Fax: 6276222
24 Dec.: 5.00 pm International Service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem
10.30 pm Christmette in the Redeemer Church in Jerusalem (free tickets required)
25 Dec.: 10.30 am Service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

ST. ANDREW’S SCOTS MEMORIAL CHURCH,
1 David Remez Street, Tel. 6732401, Fax: 6731711
24 Dec.: 11.15 pm Christmas Watchnight Service (English)
25 Dec.: 10.15 am Christmas Communion Service (English)

Services can also be found in Nazareth at the Church of the Annunciation and in Tiberias at the Scots Hotel.
Please visit Christian Information Center for further information.

From BIRTE EDWARDS, Your Guide to Israel

Jerusalem on Yom Kippur

This was by no means my first Yom Kippur in Israel. I have seen major cities die from all traffic on this day, but it was the first time I was able to experience the completely empty highways.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day for Jews all over the world. In English it is usually called The Day of Atonement. It is best known as a full fasting day, lasting from sundown to sundown. It is a complete fast, meaning you can’t drink or eat anything for the 25 hours that it lasts. You are supposed to spend the day in the synagogue.

Now in Israel this is taken very seriously. In fact the whole country closes down, and I mean completely. It is more closed on this one day, than on any shabbat through the year. When I say closed down for Yom Kippur it means not just no work, for anybody, but it means no radio, no television, no entertainment of any kind, and it means no cars on the road.

Now even though a very large part of the Israeli population does not fast, all will respect this day, which means that we all accept that there is no television and radio, and none of us will drive during this day.

I can’t express this in words, and I am not sure you will really understand this, but the country becomes quiet, totally quiet., the kind of quiet the world lived with until the invention of cars. I love this quiet. It comes from having no cars on the roads, like a silent white noise that we don’t really hear, but is there all the time.

So what was different this Yom Kippur? This year I spent it with my daughter and her family on the moshav. Their moshav is right off one of Israel’s major highways, route no. 2, between Tel Aviv and Haifa.

As is the habit all over Israel, on the evening we go walking, and the children get on their bikes. They can drive everywhere without fear of cars. There are none.

So last night we walked to route no. 2, and we walked on route no. 2. The kids were racing down the three-lanes highway. The teenagers were sitting on the barrier separating the north bound lane from the south bound lane. The younger children were drawing on the tarmac of the highway. This went on very late, and continued the next day, at least the biking.

We hung around there for a couple of hours together with a great number of other residents of the moshav. And in all that time we only saw two cars, both of them police cars with their flashing blue lights.

I had wanted to bring my video camera to document this extraordinary scene. Now I am truly sorry that I didn’t, because I know none of the people there would have minded. So it will have to wait till next Yom Kippur for me to show you how a country can close down completely for 24 hours, and have bicycles races on the highways. The two pictures I found on google will have to do.

Rosh Hashana, literally head of the year, is accepted as the New Year within the Jewish calendar.

Jewish concept of a new year is somewhat different from Christian concept. Rosh Hashana is part of a longer period known as the High Holidays. It begins about a week earlier, includes Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkoth.

Since Rosh Hashana symbolizes the beginnings, a traditional belief has it that this day is the sixth day of Creation (the day man was created and all creating completed). Rosh Hashana is also seen as the day of God inscribing you into the Book of Life, which is sealed on Yom Kippur.

A period preceding Rosh HaShana is known as Shlihot (forgiveness). For many this entails getting up earlier than usual, as the shlihot prayers are usually said at midnight or before sunrise. There are areas in Jerusalem where this has become a great tradition, attracting Jerusalemites from all its neighborhoods.

Like all Jewish holidays Rosh Hashana begins at sundown, in this case marking the end of the month of Elul and the beginning of the month of Tishrei. It is generally celebrated for two days, partly because after the destruction of the 2nd Temple (70 CE) it became difficult to determine the exact day of the new moon.

Part of the celebrations is to hear the blowing of the horn, usually a ram’s horn, as was done in the days of the Temple to mark the beginning of holy days, including Shabbat. This blowing is known as the tekiot.

There are of course traditional foods linked to this holiday. Since Rosh Hashana begins with sundown, families join together to celebrate. As part of the blessings of the evening and the holiday, apple slices are dipped in honey, to symbolize the sweetness of the year to come.

For some it is also customary to add meat from the head of an animal or even a fish head, to mark beginning (rosh=head). Other foods eaten by many are dates and pomegranates. Often a special blessing may be said when serving pomegranate: May you have as many blessings in the New Year as there are seeds in the pomegranate.

Rosh HaShana is an official holiday in Israel, and so all places of work are closed, as well as shops, schools. It is considered as a shabbat.

Since all Jewish holidays follow the Jewish calendar there are always variations in the Christian calendar, but generally Rosh Hashana falls in September, to be followed by Yom Kippur and Sukkoth.

Megillat Esther

Purim is the lightest and most fun of all Jewish holidays. That does not mean that there is not a lesson to be had, but at least on the days of Purim we are allowed to go outside our normal behavior, dance, make parades, have parties and other fun activities.

The holiday or festival of Purim celebrates the story as related in the Book of Esther. The story takes place in ancient Persia empire. The king, Ahashuerus, had an advisor,vizier, Haman, who plots the extermination of the Jewish people there. Ahashuerus makes some bad decisions due to his excessive drinking, i.e. being drunk. Luckily one of his wives, Queen Esther learns about Haman’s plot and that Ahashuerus has given permission to carry out the plot. Esther turns to her her uncle and foster parent, Mordecai, and together they foil Haman’s evil plans to exterminate the Jews.

The day following the defeat of Haman was declared a day of festivities and rejoicing.

Observance and Festivities

As all other Jewish holiday, Purim begins with sunset. During the evening it is customary to go to synagogue and hear the reading of the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther). During the reading, every time the name of Haman comes up, the community is supposed to make so much noice that the name can’t be hear. Why? To wipe out evil. How? Through shouting or the use of rattlers (noise makers, ra’ashan).

Since the holiday of Purim is about having as much fun as possible it became the custom to dress up and have purim plays and parties. It is also costumary to give out mishloat manot, literally sending out portions, but really baskets with sweets, candies and cakes. Talking about cakes the special food for purim are oznei haman (haman’s ears), also know as hamantaschen. This is a cookie like pastry folded into a triangle with chocolate, puppy seed or jam filling.

In Israel

In modern Israel this is the day for the kids in particular to dress up, to put on make up, to become whatever they want for a day or two. Purim is a two day holiday from school and studies. On the last day before Purim the children come to school dressed up, and of course there are no studies on that day. No wonder that Purim has become so popular.

On that same day, or more commonly, on the Friday closest to the holiday many places hold adloyadot, a combination of street carnival and parade. These adloyadot can be elaborate affairs, with floats and themes. But this is not just for the children. Adults also dress up and participate. The adloyadot are for the children, young adults take the opportunity for creating their own parties in the evenings.

As I often work during the holiday of Purim I don’t always have the chance to participate. But I have been known to turn up for work wearing a wig or a funny hat. We all find our own way to celebrate.

A few pictures representing a local Purim festivity

The almond trees are blooming, filling the landscape with more color of pink and white on green and brown. It is a sign for the end of winter and the coming of spring. It is Tu B’Shvat

It is mid-winter.
Good winters are filled with cold and rain, and hopefully snow in the higher regions of the country. In this coldest, darkets time of the year, Israel celebrates the holiday of Tu B’Shvat, the Festival of the Trees.

This is not a religious holiday like most of the other Jewish holidays. What this means is that it is not a holiday stipulated in the Tanach (Hebrew bible) and so there are no particular religious ceremonies to keep. In modern Israel work and school continue as usual.  The holiday usually falls in late January or early February.

Tu B’Shvat derives its name from the Hebrew month of Shvat. Tu is the 15th day of this month, the day of the full moon. The original purpose of the holiday as described in the Mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah was as one of the four new years in the Jewish Calendar:
- The first of Nisan – new year for kings and festivals
- The first of Elul – new year for animal tithes
- The first of Tishrei- new year for calculation of the calendar, sabbatical years and jubilees, for planting and sowing
- The fifteenth of Shvat – the new year of the trees

There was a very important function for determining the new year of the trees. According to Jewish law fruits of trees could not be eaten or used as tithing during the first three years (Leviticus 19:23). Tu B’Shvat became the cut off date. In the final year, fruit ripening before Tu B’Shvat were considered mature and was permitted for tithing. Fruit ripening after this date was not permitted as tithing.

Let’s face it, tithing in those days was a form of taxation, so this could be very important for the farmer. In some Jewish ortodox circles these rules are still adhered to in determining if something is kosher or not.

Customs around Tu B’Shvat
It was always customary to mark this day by planting trees and eating of nuts and dried fruits. From a practical point of view this is natural. This is the time of year that is best for planting trees, as the soil is wet and more rain is still expected. The trees have the best chance to flourish.

Nuts and dried fruits. Mid-winter. No doubt people on purpose prepared dried fruits and stored nust for the time of the year when there would have been a scarcity of fresh fruits.

In 1890 Rabbi Zeev Yavetz took his students in Zichron Yaacov and planted trees on this day. This tradition was adopted by the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayement l’Israel) and the Jewish Teachers Union in 1908.

It is no surprise that the two organizations leading Tu B’Shvat are these two. Throughout most of modern Israel school children go planting, often in collaboration with Jewish National Fund. But many adults join in, and this can go into the millions total.

As part of keeping the traditions, many families make a seder meal with dried fruits and nuts, a seder meal emulating the Passover Seder, even with its own hagaddah.

Symbolism
For most Israelis Tu B’Shvat marks the beginning of the end of winter. The sign for this are the almond trees. When they bloom in pink or white flowers, we know that longer and warmer days are approaching. In their own right the blossoming almond trees are a magnificent sight, the tree being without leaves, and the middle of fields or orchards green from the winter rains.

Holidays are serious business. If you celebrate Hanukka, there’s getting the Hannukiah and the candles or oil lamps and   making sure it’s done at the right time. Then of course there is the food and no Hanukkah is complete without your latke (potato pancake) and soufganiot.

If you celebrate Christmas, it’s all about getting the decorations in place, about lighting the Christmas tree, about getting all the presents and in time. And of course it’s about Christmas dinner and pudding, depending on where you live.

And what if one of you celebrate one holiday and your partner the other? That can be serious business.

So why not take a different look at all this. Look and listen to what Walter, Peanut,  Ahmed and Jeff Dunham have to say on these holidays and some good advice.

SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL

During the darkest time of the year, mid-winter, is when Jews all over the world celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights or the Festival of Dedication.

Hanukkah is the celebration of a miracle that took place in the year 165 BCE during the purification of the Temple in Jerusalem following the successful rebellion by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Greeks.

From around the year 200 BCE the land of Judea has been under the rule of the Seleucid Greeks. The first ruler Antiochus III was benevolent towards the Jews and had granted them the right to live according to their ancestral traditions. However, his son Antiochus IV Epiphanes turned this around, banned the daily sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem, in effect outlawing Judaism. He also banned circumcision and ordered pigs to be sacrificed in the Temple, and had a statue to Zeus installed in the Temple.

This proved too much for the Jews, and under the leadership of Jewish priest, Mattathias and his five sons, Yohanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan and Judah, they rose up in rebellion against the Greeks. After two years of fighting, the Jews came out successful, and had liberated Jerusalem and the Temple from the Greeks.

Judah Maccabee (Yehuda HaMacabi or Yehuda the Hammer) ordered all vestiges of the Greeks to be removed, including the alter that had been desecrated. A new alter was made. The whole Temple compound now needed to be purified and rededicated. To do so the Menorah (the Seven-Armed Candelabra) was to be lit and burn for eight days. However, the olive oil found was too little to burn for every night for eight days, as demanded.

Zohar, Alma and Dror lighting hanukkah candles

Despite that there was only enough oil for one night, the lights were lit, and a miracle occurred that they burnt for the full eight days. This happened on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of  Kislev.

To this day Jews all over begin the Hanukkah holiday on this day. The tradition is to light the hanukkiah (a nine armed candelabra). Nine – eight arms, one for each of the day of Hanukkah, and the ninth to light the other lights. This one is known as the shamash, the servant. The tradition is that on the first night of Hanukkah one light is lit with the shamash, on the second night two, and so on, till on the eight night all lights are burning.

During the lighting of the lights blessings are said. This is followed by the singing of Ma’oz Zur, and generally, especially here in Israel, with the singing of many other songs. Hanukka is the holiday with more songs than any other of the Jewish holidays.

Special foods belong to Hanukka, as with all other holidays. The foods for Hanukkah are traditionally food fried in oil (to remind of the oil used during the dedication). This holiday, more than any of the others, is characterized by foods high in calories, such as latkes, potato pancakes, and soufganiot, a type of doughnut, often injected with jam.

The sevivon, a four-sided spinning top is an integral part of Hanukkah. Each side is inscribed with a Hebrew letter – nun, gimel, heh and peh, for the four words: nes gadol haya po – a great miracle was here. Games developed around this sevivon, still played in many households.

Hag Sameah (Happy Holiday)