Tu’B Shevat is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Tu’B Shevat is when we celebrate the New Year for the trees. It is a Jewish Arbor Day and comes just at the end of the winter rainy season in Israel, which correlates to sometime near February.
Trees play an important role in Jewish history. Trees are mentioned throughout the Bible, both symbolic trees like the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and ordinary trees like willow, olive, cedar, cypress, palm, fig, and many others.
Although the land of Israel was very barren in 1948 when modern Israel became a nation, today it produces everything from apples to dates, including many varieties of citrus, stonefruits. bananas, avocados, persimmons, grapes, almonds, with many varieties of melons, to name a few. Tu’B Shevat is celebrated by planting trees and the eating of the fruit of trees.
Originally from: Jewish Discoveries by Jeff Zaremsky, page 92, which contains a total of 22 fascinating chapters of biblical history and lessons plus 25 rich Jewish tradition sections, and 27 powerful testimonies, with over 40 beautifully rendered professional works of art all on over 300 jam packed pages. You can own this treasure by visiting Jewish Discoveries.
