Tu Bishvat is a holiday that celebrates our awareness of our environment and our acknowledgment that the whole world is a holy place. This holiday reminds us that we are indeed partners with God. We show appreciation for the grace and beauty of God's creation by taking responsibility to care for our world and the creatures in it.

There is great joy in accomplishing this serious task. We remember that human beings are God's creation as we strive to enhance, enrich and improve our own growth and development.

Tu Bishvat symbolizes the beginning of the spring. The sun shines, warming the air, the sky starts to clear, and the buds open up. On this Holiday, Israeli children take shovels and jags of water and go to plant trees. And since it's a happy occasion, they celebrate by singing, dancing and eating dry fruits.

Planting picture Janet Barnstable (USA), Bird picture Elena (Russia)