Jewish Living
Jewish Holidays — Winter 2022 ( 5782 )
Tu B ’ Shevat
January 17 , 2022 Tu B ’ Shevat or the “ New Year of the Trees ” is Jewish Arbor Day . The holiday is observed on the 15th ( tu ) of the Hebrew month of Sh ’ vat . Scholars believe that originally Tu BiSh ’ vat was an agricultural festival , marking the emergence of spring . In the 17th century , Kabbalists created a ritual for Tu BiSh ’ vat that is similar to a Passover seder . Today , many Jews hold a modern version of the Tu BiSh ’ vat 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 .
Purim
March 17 , 2022 Purim is celebrated with a public reading — usually in the synagogue — of the Book of Esther ( Megillat Esther ), which tells the story of the holiday . Under the rule of King Ahashverosh , Haman , the king ’ s prime minister , plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia . His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai , who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction . The reading of the megillah typically is a rowdy affair , punctuated by booing and noise-making when Haman ’ s name is read aloud .
Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects . First , Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned . Second , Purim , like Hanukkah , traditionally is viewed as a minor festival , but elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience . Over the centuries , Haman became the embodiment of every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed . The significance of Purim lies not so much in how it began , but in what it has become : a thankful and joyous affirmation of Jewish survival against all odds .
BBYO
Grades : 8 – 12 BBYO is the world ’ s leading pluralistic Jewish youth movement . BBYO is teen-led and modeled as a high school fraternity and sorority , including two movements : Aleph Zadik Aleph ( AZA ) for boys and B ’ nai Brith Girls ( BBG ), for girls . Richmond BBYO has two chapters , an AZA chapter ( Monarchs AZA ) and a BBG chapter ( Dr . Abraham Cohen BBG ). Richmond BBYO is a part of Eastern Region which includes the communities of the Peninsula and Tidewater in Virginia and all of North Carolina . BBYO members participate in varied programs including social , education , recreational activities , community service and Israel programs . For more information on how to join , please contact Lauren Revenson , Regional Director for Eastern Region BBYO , at lrevenson @ bbyo . org .
MACCABI GAMES
See page 12 for information about the Summer 2022 Maccabi Games .
Weinstein JCC | 2022 Winter Activity Guide 7