By Noa Levy, 2021-2022 Shinshinim
My name is Noa and I’m a Shinshinit in the amazing Jewish community of Metropolitan Detroit. I grew up in Kibbutz Yifat, in our partnership region.
As a child in the Kibbutz, I loved walking in the sun, running barefoot in grass fields, and picking fresh fruit from trees around the kibbutz.
This month we celebrated Tu Bishvat, in which we mark another year of Israeli nature’s growth. At home, we celebrate Tu Bishvat by planting trees, plants, and flowers, eating dried fruit, cleaning forests, and having a Tu Bishvat seder – to express our gratitude for the nature around us. This year, though, is different.
Every 7 years comes a “Shnat Shmita” – a year when all farmers in Israel stop working the land of Israel, to let it rest. One of the mitzvas within Shmita is to open the fields and the orchards so people in need can enjoy Israel’s produce, too.
This mitzva “forces” the farmers to give and help someone in need which, in my opinion, is beautiful, yet I can’t help but wonder – do they really have to wait for that 7th year to help someone? Do we all really need to wait for a sign, or wait to be asked to care for others? I wish, and even believe, the answer to these questions is no, we do not.
I wish us all, in the spirit of Tu Bishvat, to always remember to open our eyes and hearts, care for one another to the best of our ability, in any way we find impactful and meaningful not only on Tu Bishvat – but all year round.
Happy Tu Bishvat!