Grounded but growing…
It’s Tu Bishvat on Monday 2 February. This is the 15th day of the Jewish or Hebrew month of Shevat, also known as The New Year Of The Trees. While it has specific Halachic or Jewish legal implications, in contemporary times (and especially in Israel) it’s an ecological or environmental day reminding us to consider our place in the universe, our responsibility for the world around us and the terrible impact of our human actions on the ecosystem.
It has become closely linked to the planting of trees, and this year there is a fabulous project of ECAJ to plant trees for memory, for Bondi, for the healing of our country.
There’s something deeply powerful and beautiful about a tree, its roots sunk firmly into the earth, its branches stretching towards the heavens. Grounded, yet always growing.
In Australia, the Jewish community will surely be thinking of our own roots and how deeply they run in this country. We will also be reflecting on how we can reach out with hope and confidence for the future. It’s a moment to ask how we wish to share our fruits: our values, and our responsibilities, with our fellow Australians.
We will remember the story from the Talmud about Choni, the Circle Maker, who in his old age was planting a tree when a passer-by asked him: Why do you plant a tree now, you’re not going to be around to see it grow and flourish. And Choni answers him: I am not planting the tree just for myself, I am planting it for future generations.
And that is the spirit of Tu Bishvat!
So this year let’s plant a tree – literally or figuratively – to remind us of our responsibility to our physical and social environment. A reminder that we are caretakers of both.
Let’s affirm our hope for the future of the Jewish community of Australia, and for the people of this blessed continent.
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ECAJ is encouraging all members of the community to Plant4Bondi on Tu B’Shvat, dedicating their trees to the memory of those whose lives were so cruelly cut short.
If you do Plant4Bondi next week, please share a photo or reel on social media, including the hashtag #Plant4Bondi and tagging @ecajoz
