The middle school students have been busy in their Ivrit classes learning about Medinat Yisrael and its borders, culture and history. As we approached Tu B’Shvat, the emphasis has been on the importance of Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael and its centrality in our lives as Jews. Tu B’Shvat is the day that marks the yom huledet l’ilanot- the new year for the fruit trees. It marks the season in which the earliest blooming trees emerge and the shkeidiya blooms. This is an opportunity for the students to learn names of fruits in Ivrit and the seven species and gain an appreciation for Hashem’s gift of trees to us. To prepare for this special holiday, the students read the story of Choni HaMeagel as well as the Gemara of “Ilan, ilan ….” The seventh grade students are learning about the five aliyot and the commitment of the chalutzim, the pioneers settling in Eretz Yisrael, and their challenges and contributions to the development of Yisrael as we know it today. Hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful chag!