Happy Tu B’shevat!
To all my wonderful tree-huggers of Hanegev:
Not only is today special because there is a SA/TO scenes email, but it is also the week of Tu B’shevat!Tu B’shevat is the holiday of trees; otherwise known as “Jewish Arbor Day” or “The New Year for Trees”. This day is all about celebrating trees and all the wonders that they give us, such as fruit, paper, and oxygen!Fun ways to spread the tree love this Tu B’shevat:Include in this week’s USY program an easy tree-related craft.For example, you can used recycled paper or old newspapers to make paper trees to decorate your youth lounge! You can also make any other shape decorations with the recycled paper. Using the recycled paper shows your appreciation of the trees by not using new paper and, in turn, killing more trees.Another fun way to spread the tree love is to plant trees! Physical planting a tree near your house or somewhere else is wonderful and I encourage people to do this if they feel inclined.A way that you can symbolically do this is by “planting” a tree in Israel. There are many organizations that allow people all over the world to donate money so that a tree will be planted in their name in Israel. This is a great and easy way to be a tree hugger this Tu B’shevat!These links will take you to various websites where you can donate to have a tree planted in Israel:https://secure2.convio.net/jnf/site/Ecommerce?store_id=3181&s_src=2002&gclid=CIbPvPbP_rsCFWJo7AodGW4ACQSome of the trees that you can plant are fruit trees. By planting fruit trees, you are creating a new source of food for the hungry people of the world.Feed the earth, and in turn, the earth will feed us.Stay SA/TO-licious,Jamie ShearSA/TO Scenes EditorSerena DeutchRegional HaNegev SA/TO VP