Tu BiShvat or the "New Year of the Trees" is Jewish Arbor Day.

The holiday is observed on the 15th (tu) of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Scholars believe that originally

Tu BiShvat was an agricultural festival, marking the emergence of spring. In the 17th century, Kabbalists created a ritual for Tu BiShvat that is similar to a Passover seder. Today, many Jews hold a modern version of the Tu BiShvat seder each year. The holiday also has become a tree-planting festival in Israel, in which Israelis and Jews around the world plant trees in honor or in memory of loved ones and friends.

https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/tu-bishvat

For the new year, Congregation B’nai Harim (Bringing Hebrew Wisdom to the Hills), will begin studying the Torah, the Hebrew Scriptures, from the very beginning of the Bible. Hebrew and not-yet Hebrew learners will explore the depths of each letter, from the original pictographic images that became letters, to the hidden mysteries of one of the sacred tongues of the world, in fact one of the roots of our culture today. If you want to get to the root of God and your faith, if it emanates from the Hebrew Scriptures in any way, you must start at the very beginning. Rabbi David M. Azen will begin before the beginning, in the white space before the words. Back when, per Mickey Hart, all there was was rhythm. The heartbeat of infinity. You’ll learn what the purpose of creation was from the architect that drew up the blueprints for bliss day by day, and what went awry according to Rabbi Isaac Luria in the 1500s. All tongues are sacred, and yet…Hebrew has a special place in the development of world culture, and mistranslations and surface understandings from third hand sources have soured some of the beauty, mystery and ambiguity of the text. Medieval philosophy did a terrible number on God, forcing us to believe in an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent being that is nothing like the multifaceted deity of the Hebrew tradition. Those who have risked and given their lives for the preservation, continuation, and continuous reinvention of this tradition ought to be cherished, and the regular pushing of the boundaries of what is right and what needs to happen comes directly from the Exodus tradition. The Jewish people who have held fast to the Tree of Life and done countless good deeds for people of all tongues aim to improve the world. We just can’t do that if we’re dead. For those in the Jewish community, in these times of turmoil, we need to turn to our tradition and do the most good deeds we can, and observe those markers of identity that strengthen our knowledge of why we’re still here. We learn in the Talmud: There are priceless words and actions that bear fruit in this world and the world to come: Honor father and mother; compassionate deeds; grace to guests; visit the sick; celebrate weddings; accompany the dead for burial; deep prayer; make peace among people. And study of Torah is equal to them all (because it leads to them all. So come and study, here or elsewhere, doesn’t matter, just keep learning. For those of other tongues and faiths, you are welcome to join in the exploration. The rabbis taught that study was a form of meditation, so if you’re interested in learning Hebrew at an excruciating slow pace, embracing mystery, ambiguity and freedom to question, consider joining us -- we aren’t looking for converts, just fellow travelers and friends. The Jewish tradition does not compel belief to get a spot in the next world. If you’re not yet a member of the congregation, and would like an invitation to start and/or deepen your relationship to the Bible, please send a note to [email protected] and let us know a bit about you and what background you have, and what interests you about this opportunity. May this new year find us ready to learn more about each other and how to live by bringing out the best in ourselves and each other.

As we welcome 2024, we also welcome several new members to our community. 2024 also brings the return of our preschool program as we welcome our youngest members into our school. 

The final plans for the building-parking lot interface component of our security grant are under review and construction will begin as soon as the plans are approved by the city. Additional security measures are also underway as part of the Cal OES security grant. 

2024 is sure to be a busy year for Congregation B’nai Harim at the Nevada County Jewish Community Center and I invite you all to read our weekly email blast to see all the happenings and check out the calendar of events on our webpage.  

If anyone is interested in helping out with any facilities projects, please contact our Facilities chairperson by emailing Mya Russell at [email protected] We do have several smaller projects that require very short time commitments so if you only have a couple hours to help, we have something for you and if you have a student needing volunteer hours, this is a great opportunity for them to work with other community members.

March 29th

The Operation Warmth clothing drive was a smashing success!! The folks at Hospitality House were so excited and the generosity of our congregation was fabulously over the top!

The Sisterhood Book Club meets on the second Monday of each month at the NCJCC. Gather and Greet at 12:30 with lively Book Discussions beginning at 1:00.

January 8th Dinners with Ruth, By Nina Totenberg

February 12th The Saturday Wife, By Naomi Regan

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