Many Generations Back Jews Living in Jerusalem's Old City Gave Each Other Mishloach Manot on Tu B'Shvat

One of the things I love about writing this blog is discovering how customs normally associated with one holiday have been adapted by different Jewish communities to another. Take the Purim practice of giving Mishloach Manot.  Who would think that this custom would apply to Tu B'Shvat? A seventh generation Israeli whose forebears originally lived in Jerusalem's Old City reports that way back when in the Jewish Quarter, people sent trays filled with fruits, nuts and seeds to one another.

I can only give an educated guess as to why. There has been a continual Jewish presence in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter since the 8th Century BCE. The Tu B'Shvat Seder dates (forgive the pun) back to the 17th century. The term Mishloach Manot literally means "sending portions" -- ensuring that everyone has enough food for the feast. Let's connect the dots. Seven generations back leads us to somewhere in the mid-19th century. Jews living in Jerusalem back then were not exactly wealthy. In all probability, they observed the ritual of a Tu B'Shvat Seder. But what if they didn't have enough money for fruits and seeds? Aha! Mishloach Manot, of course.

As I said, it's only a hunch, but there's no guesswork as to what fruits are eaten on Tu B'Shvat. All you have to do is bite into 5 of the 7 Species: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates are all native to Israel. I say let's expand the list and teach our children about other fruits Israel is famous for (I know that Zvuvi has provided you with the latest innovation).

Let's start with prickly pears, commonly known in Israel as the Sabra fruit. Yes, it's the best way to explain the Israeli personality -- tough and thorny on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside. Please don't forget lovable and loyal.


Need another juicy Israeli fruit tidbit? Try our oranges.

I know that oranges and Florida are synonymous to you, but Israel put oranges on the European market map with its famous Jaffa brand. When Spain and Portugal started to heat up the competition, we branched out by developing unusual citrus varieties.

Finally, how about a new Pitaya hybrid Made in Israel?




Have I helped you make seder -- order -- about fruits for Tu B'Shvat? I hope so. Happy New Tree Year. Enjoy all the fruit that they bear.








Dried Fruit & Nuts Photo Credit
Prickly Pear Photo Credit
Oranges Photo Credit
Pitaya Photo Credit

Virtual Author Visits for Passover, Yom HaShoah and Yom Ha'Atzmaut

Shalom from Israel:

Yes, that's me on a smart board at the Talmud Torah of St. Paul where I had a wonderful virtual author visit on January 9th. In fact, I've conducted several virtual author visits recently, and have found them to be a fun and enriching experience for the students and myself. My latest one was at the Religious School of Houston's Temple Sinai, during which I read Keeping The Promise, followed by a short Q&A.

This visit led me to an aha moment. Passover, Yom Hashoah and Yom Ha'Atzmaut are coming up and I have a book for each one:

Why not "invite" me to your school? Virtual Visits have numerous benefits: They create a sense of excitement, they're part of today's new technology, they eliminate the bother of transporting an author to your school, and most important for today's economy, they are the budget-wise way for creating an enrichment program. For more details, please visit my website.

Looking forward to hearing from you and meeting your students this Spring.

Le'Hitraot...Tami

Iraqi Jews Connect Weddings with Tu B'shvat

Once upon a time Jews living in the Land of Israel planted trees for babies born the previous year. Cedar trees were earmarked for boys, ensuring the infants develop into  tall, upright citizens. Girls on the other hand were assigned cyprus trees because of their grace and fragrance. On wedding days these two trees intertwined, with branches from both used to make the huppah, wedding canopy -- a theme continued on modern-day huppot.

But what about the actual connection between Tu B'Shvat, trees and weddings? Ask Iraqi Jews who call this holiday Chag Livluv HaEtzim -- Holiday of Tree Blossoming. One of their special customs is taking the bachelorettes of their community to the forest and assigning a tree to each as a "husband." One month later they return to the forest, checking which trees have begun to blossom. These symbols of budding romances mark upcoming marriages during the coming year.

You can say this custom is quaint or sweet, but let's put it in today's ecological terms. After all, Tu B'Shvat is the original Arbor Day and by Iraqi Jewish lights one could say that in order to protect the environment, they wisely husband their energy.



Photo Credit

For 2012: A Technology Shabbat, California Style

Let's face it. With all of technology's benefits -- and there are many -- today's electronic age rules our lives. It has become such an addiction that Californian
Tiffany Shlain -- founder


of The Webby Awards and recognized by Newsweek as "one of the women shaping the 21st century" -- is convinced that we need a once-a-week break from everything e or i. To this end, she and her  family observe a  24-hour "Technology Shabbat" -- a rest from technology -- beginning every Friday at sundown.  That's what she said on a PBS Tavis Smiley show that I caught this past November when I was in the States.

I was particularly intrigued by her announcement because, quite frankly, I feel like an Israeli Agatha Christie watching my Orthodox nephews go on Skype every Motzei Shabbat Israel time -- meaning  the middle of Shabbat New York time. I don't claim to be any great Hassida. I live in that grey world of Conservadoxy and I'm all for live and let live, but huh? What's going on here? The answer came during this same November trip, when in a passing conversation my sister in-law told me that today many Orthodox kids observe a Half Shabbos. Which means, you don't have to be Conservative or Reform to open your computer or mobile phone on Shabbat.

Yes, this seems to be a teen thing and I don't write for teens. But what's at stake here is not the age level. It's the essence of Shabbat. Not the religious dos and don'ts, but what it does for our mind and soul. With all the quality time talk that parents spout, why is it that regardless of denomination we Jews fail to recognize that Shabbat is the prototype of family quality time? What other day of the week provides such a sense of togetherness? Name another evening where each member of the family is made to feel special. Think of the roles played by candle lighting, blessing children and saying Kiddush. And in today's hectic, 21st century life, name another weeknight when the family sits around the table, enjoys a home-made, mouth-watering meal while talking about the week's events.

How you extend that unified family feeling for a full 25 hours is up to you. So is how you teach it. Clearly, it's not about rules. Otherwise, Half Shabbos teens wouldn't feel the urge to break them. Shabbat is all about the gift the Jewish nation has given the world -- a day of rest.  So, thank you Tiffany Shlain for reminding us. It's something to tweet about every Friday afternoon before pushing the shut down button.


Technology photo credit

Shabbat photo credit

From Hasmonean Coins to Hanukkah Gelt

Did the Maccabees mint coins? Their descendants, who became a royal family,  did. Not the yummy chocolate gelt pictured here. But have a look at these Hasmonean coins, and the front and back of this bronze prutah (BTW: the prutah coin was reintroduced shortly after the modern State of Israel was established).

Those Maccabees and their Hasmonean dynasty -- they really knew how to make a killing. Clearly, folks were ready to bet their money on them. Could it be that's why we give children Hanukkah gelt?

Maybe. While the word on the street is that the custom of giving Hanukkah gelt is rooted in Eastern Europe, I just discovered that some historians believe the practice does indeed connect to the Maccabees' minting of coins after they restored political autonomy to the Jewish people. It makes sense. The Hanukkiah reminds us of the burning oil miracle. Why shouldn't Hanukkah gelt remind us of self-rule?

Even if Hasmonean coins are NOT the source of this custom, detectives of Jewish religious law -- Halakha -- discovered that Rabbi Josef Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch,  declared that the light given forth by the Hanukkiah's candles can only be used for one specific purpose: recalling the miracle of the oil. Counting one's money by the light of the candles was forbidden. To remember this prohibition, Hanukkah money was distributed.

Here's another interesting detective tidbit. The Talmud states that on Hanukkah every Jewish household must light at least one candle per night, even if they are poor and have to go door-to-door asking for candle money. To eliminate this embarrassment, a custom evolved of giving Hanukkah gelt to the poor.

So,  thank you Belgium for your premium chocolate used to mint our Hanukkah gelt. And thank you to all the manufacturers issuing these yummy coins. But most of all, thank you to all the Jewish history and halakha detectives who discovered the roots of this delectable custom.

Hanukkah Sameach.


Photo Credit

I've Launched My Virtual Author Visits

Hi Everyone:
Two weeks ago I talked about my new book Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles. I am pleased to report that I just did a virtual book reading of this new title via Skype with the second grade of Congregation Beth Hatikva's Religious School, located in Summit, New Jersey. As you can see in the photos, 2nd grade teacher Danielle Weiner  held up a copy of the book as I read the story. Afterwards, the students asked me to explain what autism is. We then discussed what it would be like to have a boy like Nathan in their class and how they would befriend him. I was very impressed with their warmth and willingness to accept someone different into their midst.

I want to thank Nancy Hersh, Beth Hatikva's Educational Director, for organizing this virtual visit, sending me these photos, and reporting that "this was an experience the students won't forget."

Interested in a Virtual Visit? Read all about it and contact me. I'll be happy to book a date and meet your students.
Tami

Hanukkah is Called Januca in Mexico

Yup. The census people are right -- Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in America. On my recent author tour to the United States, Spanish was in the air, everywhere. So, Hola everybody. This week I'm going to take you to Mexico, where Hanukkah is called Januca, and where our traditional dreidel game has a twin counterpart called Toma Todo or La Pirinola.

Mexican Jews know how to give Hanukkah a fun spin. No latkes or sugar doughnuts for them.  They eat a homemade favorite called bimuelos -- fried fritters drenched in either sugar or syrup (yes, you can forget a heathy diet on Hanukkah) -- or corn dough balls with marmalade inside. Ooo...so many sticky fingers make for lots of laughs. But the real fun begins with making a dreidle shaped pinata and ends with banging it apart (as seen in this photo) and treated to a shower of sweets and toys.
Need I say more about Hanukkah party ideas?
O.K. One more.
Since Spanish is America's second language, sneak in a little Hanukkah lesson in Spanish while you're breaking the dreidel pinata.
Feliz Januca. Happy Hanukkah everybody.


Photo Credit