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Charlotte Jewish News - January 2016 - Page 13 Community News A Tu biShevat Confession By Lisa Garfinkle Let me share a guilty seeret. Despite my eommitment to envi ronmentalism and my position as Shalom Green projeet manager, I have always found it diffieult to muster enthusiasm for Tu biShe vat, the “New Year for the Trees,” whieh falls this year on January 25. As a Southern girl with a deep aversion to eold, the thought of eelebrating trees and nature at a time of year when days are short and typieally freezing, and, let’s faee it, nature is not at its most beautiful, has never been ineredi- bly appealing. The timing of the holiday seems better suited for warmer elimates, say, that of Is rael, while the seeular Earth Day, whieh falls on April 22 is more suited to my internal thermostat and seasonal preferenee. However, my experienee over the past year working on Shalom Green has led to an attitude ad justment. The knowledge I’ve gained about Judaism’s profound eonneetion to the natural world, eombined with a renewed appre- eiation for the dedieation of those who make Jewish environmental ism a priority in their lives, and a humbling awareness of just how little I know about natural eyeles and the effeet of our human aetiv- ities on them has eonvineed me that every day should be a day for eelebrating nature. Thus, any hol iday dedieated to sueh a eelebra- tion is worthwhile. Our Jewish aneestors were way ahead of me on this, perhaps be- eause in their time, living in har mony with nature was a more immediate matter of life or death than it is today. Knowing when to plant, what to plant, when to har vest, and how to keep the land fer tile meant the differenee between eating and starving. And from the beginning, Judaism has appreei- ated trees as important symbols of the essential role of nature in sus taining life. In Deuteronomy, for instanee, the Torah forbids us from eutting down fruit trees, even during wartime. Aeeording to the Midrash, the Jewish peo ple’s first aet upon entering the Holy Land was to plant trees. And the Torah, itself, is known as “the tree of life.” In modem times, our eonnee tion to the earth is more remote. The results of aetions that impaet the environment may take years or even deeades to beeome evident. However, Jews in Israel eontinue to plant trees on Tu biShevat, and throughout the year, supported by donations from Jews aeross the world, in an effort to renew the land. As a result, Israel was one of the only eountries in the world to enter the 21 st eentury with a net gain in the number of trees. This eontinued dedieation to preserv ing the earth is eritieal, beeause while the effeets of living out of harmony with nature — eaneer, lung disease, eontaminated water, soil and air — may beeome evi dent more slowly today than they did in aneient times, they are no less devastating. Over the past year, Shalom Green has worked to make the en vironment and sustainable living a priority for the Shalom Park Community. We have obtained energy audits on all Shalom Park buildings and put in motion plans for redueing our eommunity’s ear- You ’re Never Too Young to Garden! J-Tots, Charlotte Jewish Preschool, and Charlotte Jew ish Day School 3rd Graders Enjoy the Shalom Park Community Garden duee the earbon footprint of your Shalom Park ageney or institution. * Help plan environmental fo rums and edueational aetivities for the Shalom Park Community. * Partieipate in the Shalom Green Challenge and work to live more sustainably at home. For information, email environ mentally shalomeharlotte .org. ^ -^1 lAtOMGRTN t«Wl^ bt» tMlrt) bon footprint. We built and planted the Shalom Park Commu nity Garden, whieh will serve as an environmental learning hub for all ages, allowing eommunity members to experienee direetly planting, nurturing and harvesting erops. The Shalom Green Chal lenge has enrolled more than sixty families in an effort to promote sustainable living at home, and Shalom Green eontinues to work to raise awareness about environ mental issues aeross Shalom Park. As we enter our seeond year, Shalom Green needs your help to eontinue and expand these efforts. So on this Tu biShevat, plant a tree in Israel or at home, host or attend a Tu biShevat Seder, eat the fruits mentioned in the Torah - pomegranates, figs, grapes, olives, and dates, start seeds for your spring garden, but most impor tantly, join Shalom Green and eommit to earing about the earth every day - not just on environ mentally themed holidays. Here are ways for you to get involved: * Volunteer to help in the Shalom Park Community Garden or join the Garden Committee * Join the Shalom Green Steer ing Committee to help move the Environmental Initiative forward in year two. * Get involved in efforts to re- CLEANII Where Clcmtng h fit For A K!>i R esidential & Commerd al Cleaning ~ Bonded & Insured ~ Majestyte@aol.eom Majestyeleaningmd.eom Phone/Fax: 980-819-4088 Free Estimate I WHETHER YOU ARE BUYING, SELLING, RENTING OR INVESTING LET ME BE YOUR PARTNER FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTUREI for ^£?wr CommiAmi^ fhfi. Paul Mattos Realtor®/Broker (980) 221-4959 PaulMattosRealtor@gmail.com Facebook: PaulMattosRealtor www.PaulMattos.com Allen Tate Realtors Baflantyne Office (704) 541-6200 13526 Jo^nston Road ChadQtle, NC 20277 Insurance for Home, Auto, Business and Life, “My father, Harry, founded Swimmer Insurance Agency over 60 years ago offering security to the community and helping families through times of trouble. 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The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 1, 2016, edition 1
13
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