Tu B’Shevat Is Coming

 Today is Rosh Chodesh Shevat,

 and stores will be stocked with dried fruit

with sales galore all over Jerusalem and Israel.

image Tu B'Shvat, picture for New Year of Trees, photo for Tu B'Shevat

While most of the world is celebrating a new year,

on the Hebrew calendar the New Year of Trees is in two weeks.

Chodesh tov! 

A Good month to all!

Time for Tu B’Shevat in Jerusalem

Last week Jerusalem, Israel, was a winter wonderland,

DSC_0604e

snowing hard enough that even friends from Norway and Canada commented.

snowman melting, Jerusalem photo

However, by Friday afternoon it had warmed enough that

 our snowman was not looking so good and had lost one radish eye.

Jerusalem after snow photo, Jerusalem photo tour

A few dirty old piles of snow and ice are still around,

Jerusalem photo, tree fallen

while piles of downed branches line many Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem photo. tree dwon

Large limbs of trees fell near the Prime Minister’s residence,

Jerusalem photo tree down

and many large trees like this one came down because of the weather.

Jerusalem photo tree damage

In the Davidka Square, all the newly planted trees were ruined; 

only one branch was left dangling after the snow damage was cleaned up.

Jerusalem photo tree down

When the sun came out and temperatures warmed up, not everyone

seemed to be bothered by the branches that littered the sidewalks.

Jerusalem photo at night

Post-snowstorm,  there is still plenty to clean up on the streets,

 but if you are looking for ice,

fish store, Jerusalem photo shuk

 you’ll have to go once again to the Machane Yehuda market, the shuk,

where the fish shops are filled with fresh fish on ice.

shuk, market, Machane Yehuda photo

At the shuk, fresh figs were on sale yesterday ahead of Tu B’Shvat,

the New Year for trees, ten days from now:

a perfect time to plant new trees.

Tu B’Shevat in Jerusalem

School children all over Israel learn by song that

on the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the new year of trees, 

almond tree in bloom image ,

“Shkadea Porachat,”  the almond trees are blooming.

In Jerusalem,

 it is much easier to find roses blooming than almond trees.

The fifteen day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is also

dried fruit image, mall image

the holiday when dried fruit displays fill the shopping malls.

Machane Yehuda market, the shuk, always a source of dried fruit and nuts, 

machane yehuda market image, image of the shuk in Jerusalem

has even more piles and varieties on sale this time of year.

dried chilli image

The dried chillies in the shuk yesterday

regulach image, rows of little cakes image

and these little rogalach seemed really special too.

Generations of American Jews 

associate Tu B’Shevat with “bokser” or dried carob pods.

lemons on tree image

However, I prefer our lemon tree full of fruit as a symbol

of the start of the growing season.

Many people will attend a special Tu B’Shevat seder at night at a

table set with red and white wine and dried fruit and special prayers. 

But some stores have been ready for a while with costumes and props,

and for some… it is never too soon to get ready for Purim.

Happy Tu B’Shevat where ever you are!

See Tu B’Shvat from  last year for a rainbow of beauty in Jerusalem:

http://rjstreets.com/2011/01/19/tu-bshvat/