Family Celebration of Tu B’Shvat – The Birthday of the Trees- Planting the Seeds of Our Future and Growing Together with Folkshul

Folkshul, Philadelphia’s secular, Jewish humanistic community/organization,  is honored to be part of The Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest, a multi-partner effort to make climate change a central moral issue of the Jewish community.  Folkshul invites the community to join us in kicking off  The Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 10:30am on Zoom, with a joyous celebration of Tu B’Shvat – the birthday of the trees – to reaffirm our commitment to the earth, stewardship, and a sustainable future.

Folkshul has designed a special family and adult programming? with components for all ages. The gathering will culminate in a Tu B’Shvat seder that uses symbolic foods representing trees, rebirth, renewal, and our commitment to care for and heal the natural world, enhancing our sense of earth-awareness, and the interconnected web of life. A $5.00 donation per family is suggested.

The program on Sunday, January 24, will begin with earth-centric folk songs, the meaning behind the holiday, and then offer guided age-based activities. Jenia Jolley, a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society-certified master gardener and Folkshul member will lead the seed planting and adult education portions of the program. 

Pre-K and elementary age children will hear stories, learn about tree structures, how to incorporate environmental stewardship in their daily routines and create tree artwork, both using trees (bring leaves, twigs and twine!) and themselves. 

Grades 3-5 will learn about trees as habitats, natural resources and how to conserve and protect them through an interactive Nearpod presentation. 

Grades 6-9 will create a Tu B’Shvat seder to share with family and friends and will host their seder at the conclusion of the program. 

Adults will learn about tree identification and native species with Jenia Jolley. 

At the end of the age-based program, the community will reconvene, plant our parsley seeds together, and share in the Tu B’Shvat seder meal.

Registration for this program is required to ensure each participating household receives supplies in advance. Each family will be mailed supplies to start two parsley plants – one for family use during Pesach and one for sharing with a neighbor/friend.

To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/folkshuls-national-environmental-stewardship-program-all-ages-welcome-tickets-133594030341

Fokshul’s Tu B’Shvat celebration will help launch the The Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest that aims to connect Jewish values with urgent, modern environmental issues, from policy and law, to equity and justice. Visit www.JewishClimateFest.org to learn more about the activities of the more than 100 partners that will participate inThe Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest, January 27-31. You’ll be joining leaders from many faith communities, indigenous activists, youth organizers and more for inspiration and invitations to make a difference. 

Folkshul is an inclusive and pluralistic Jewish organization whose mission is to transmit the values of social justice and individual responsibility in a non-theistic environment that nourishes critical thinking and provides all ages with joyous and rigorous study of Jewish life. Its goal is to provide adults and families who have not found a home within a synagogue community with a strong Jewish identity and connection with the Jewish people, and to strengthen members’ participation in social activities and causes, in keeping with the tenet of Tikkun Olam (“repair the world,”).

For more information, please contact: Leah S. Wright,  leah@folklshul.org, 215-620-2626

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