Tu BiShvat: The Jewish Birthday of the Trees

Tu B'Shvat is the Jewish birthday of the trees, observed on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, typically falling in January or February. Originally a practical date in Jewish law, it determined which fruits belonged to which tithing year, a kind of fiscal new year for orchards and vineyards.

In the 16th or 17th century, Kabbalists in Safed, led by Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, developed a special Tu B'Shvat Seder modeled after the Passover Seder, in which participants eat fruits and nuts associated with the Land of Israel and drink four cups of wine. This transformed the holiday into a meditation on creation and humanity's relationship with the natural world.

Today, Tu B'Shvat is widely celebrated as a Jewish environmental holiday. Communities hold seders, plant trees, and reflect on ecological stewardship. A reminder that even in winter, life is quietly preparing to bloom.

Flying Leap celebrated Tu BiShvat at the Brooklyn Children's Museum in partnership with The Neighborhood with a showing of The Garden. 

This was our first time having The Garden in an indoors venue and it went amazingly!

It was amazing to see so many families intergrating and engaging in meaningful play with one another.

Parents and guardians are allowed to have fun, too!!

Photo of setup for indoor performance of the garden

Missed out? Don’t worry, keep up with our newsletters and social medias to learn when The Garden is coming to your neighborhood!

an Associate Producer’s Reflection on Time on my Birthday

an Associate Producer’s Reflection on Time on my Birthday

Happy birthday, Logan! Our wonderful Associate Producer had a big birthday this summer, and has written a reflection on Virgo Season, a time looking backwards and forwards, to learn from the past as we plan for the future. An apt context for Flying Leap as we move into autumn with performances on the horizon and growth in the air! Read Logan’s blog post here.

Poet Heart, Journalist Brain: Board Member Carla Zanoni

Poet Heart, Journalist Brain: Board Member Carla Zanoni

Joyful news for the end of summer – the incredibly talented, generous, and accomplished Carla Zanoni is joining our team as a Founding Board member. Carla was the first Latina on the masthead of the Wall Street Journal, TED’s first head of audience development, and is a beautiful writer and memoirist. We’re thrilled to have her on the team – get to know her here!