New Tu B’Shevat Haggadah stresses sustainable reforestation.

(Courtesy of Hazon) Hazon, the Jewish Lab for Sustainability, has released its Tu B’Shevat Haggadah for 2020 along with holiday information, tips and resources for hosting a sustainable Tu B’Shevat seder. The Haggadah encourages readers to take the opportunity to think about trees and the fruit they bear, and the critical role that trees play in protecting and healing our planet. Toward that end, Hazon is also announcing a partnership with JTree, a collaboration between various Jewish groups that describes its goal of sustainable reforesting as “planting the right trees in the right balance in the right locations with the right ongoing care.” The Hazon Tu B’Shevat Haggadah is available in print or as a free download at www.hazon.org/tubshvat. 

Tu B’Shevat will be celebrated from sundown on Sunday, February 9, until sundown on Monday, February 10.

“Every Jewish holiday comes to remind us of something that, ideally, we should be thinking about the whole year round. Tu B’Shevat remind us that, 365 days a year, our life is dependent on the natural world that sustains us. And it nudges every one of us—and every Jewish institution—to do all that we can do to learn about the impacts of our behaviors, to reduce our impact and to speak up for wider change,” said Hazon CEO Nigel Savage.

“Tu B’Shevat isn’t just for kids,” said Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Hazon’s rabbi-in-residence, who authored the updated Tu B’Shevat Haggadah. The Hazon 2020 Haggadah combines science and current events with the wisdom of the Jewish tradition. “It reminds us to protect and preserve the planet’s natural filter—i.e., planting trees, which is one of the great ways to mitigate climate change. That is why this Tu B’Shevat we call upon the Jewish community to actively engage in this global campaign to plant hundreds of millions of new trees.”

The Tu B’Shevat Haggadah and resources are just one part of The Hazon Seal of Sustainability, which guides Jewish organizations and their members to become healthier and more sustainable. Founded in 2000, Hazon is the largest faith-based environmental organization in the U.S. The organization has created a comprehensive program to inspire, activate, educate and support the Jewish community’s commitment to mitigating climate change.

For more information, visit: https://hazon.org/.