For Immediate Release: January 30, 2004
Bet Havarim's monthly Shabbat service celebrating the holiday of Tu b'Shevat will be held 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 20th, at St. David's Episcopal Church in Dewitt.
"This service has been created by Wendy and Don Kates, members of Bet Havarim's Shabbat Committee. Tu b'Shevat is also known as the New Year for Trees or Rosh Ha-Shanah la-Ilanot," said Mel Shindler, Shabbat Committee Chairman. "Tu b'Shevat has been referred to in recent years as the Jewish Earth Day," said Don Kates. He continues, "It is a time when the frozen ground begins to thaw, the trees begin to drink water from the soil in Eretz Yisrael and a time when we honor the cycles and recycling of nature. Tu b'Shevat celebrated on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat in the middle of the month along with two other agricultural festivals also celebrated in the middle of a month, Passover and Sukkot. Wherever Jews live it helps celebrate our connection with Eretz Israel even in Central New York, in the midst of the cold and snow. Our Shabbat Committee is planning an Oneg Shabbat that will emphasize traditional foods such as fruit and nuts."
The name is derived from a Hebrew representation of the number 15: the Hebrew letters tet and vov. Tet is the ninth letter in the Hebrew aleph-bet; vov is the sixth: nine plus six is fifteen. The vov serves as a vowel, voiced as a long "u": tu. (The obvious letters to use, the tenth—hey—and the fifth—yud—are not used for 15 because they represent one of God's names.)
Everyone attending the Tu b'Shevat service is asked to bring canned goods for the Food Bank of CNY. According to Zaritz Hack, "Our Tu b'Shevat celebration will be an appropriate time for us to enjoy the fruits of spring and share food with other in CNY. The food bank has requested canned goods, such as tuna fish, fruits, vegetables, soups and stews."
One of Bet Havarim's founding members, Marty Morganstein reported on the last Shabbat service, "Our January service was well attended in spite of the bitterly cold weather. The timely focus of our guest speaker Dr. James Wiggins of Central New York's InterReligious Council was challenging, indeed. He spoke to the need for religious diversity and that we either try to learn and respect each other's faith or the fear just continues. He made it clear that religious diversity is good and healthy. The diversity of beliefs must continue but we need to know more about each other so we can move beyond tolerance."
The public is cordially invited to Bet Havarim's February 20th Shabbat worship service. For additional information about Bet Havarim, service schedules, D'vrei Torah, etc., visit Bet Havarim's website at www.BetHavarimSyr.org, email Info@BetHavarimSyr.org, or phone Marty Morganstein at 637-5390.
St. David's Church is located on Jamar Drive in Dewitt, just off Maple Drive. At the intersection of Maple Drive and East Genesee St., just across from Wegmans, proceed south on Maple Drive and take the third right turn on Jamar Drive. St. David's is handicapped accessible.
And, a reminder: please bring canned foods to our February service!