In honor of Tu B’Shevat, Tenafly Chabad Academy MS students enjoyed multiple programs related to the meaningful significance of this special day.
The girls in Bat Mitzvah Club used different activities to explore the important lessons we can learn from trees as we grow and evolve throughout life. Some of those lessons were: to always grow towards the light; we are at our best when we produce fruits that benefit others; each part of a person has a different purpose; the stronger and deeper the roots, the stronger the tree; and many other important and practical lessons. The girls ended the class with edible fruit arrangements they were able to take home and enjoy the “fruit of their labor.”
Later in the day the students participated in a proper Tu B’ Shevat Seder, including shivat haminim, fresh and dried fruit, and red and white grape juices. Each part of the seder symbolized a seasonal period, as well as a developmental stage in ourselves. The seder started with a cup of white wine (or rather white grape juice) followed by fruits with peels. While the whiteness of the wine represented the winter—the potential—within us and the world, the fruit peels were representative of the outer layer covering up the potential within us and nature. Next, the students added a drop of red “wine” into the white “wine” to introduce the season of spring. They also ate fruits with large pits, small pits and seeds, representing the parts that are forbidden, as well as the blooming potential of seeds that are present in all of us. Thus it continued for all the four seasons, which ultimately led to the actualization of full potential and the message of continuous growth and renewal.
To top it all off, this year’s Tu B’Shevat day culminated in a triumphant Color War breakout! After the students watched a video featuring different students’ and faculty members’ perspective on the meaning of Tu B’Shevat, TCA middle school broke out a color war between Team Anafim (branches) and Team Shorashim (roots). It was certainly a Tu B’Shevat to remember!
