Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of Trees, has long been my favorite holiday. As a vegetarian and wilderness enthusiast, how could I not love a holiday that celebrates nature and its fruits? Just a couple of weeks ago, me and the other members of the Israel Service Corps were lucky enough to celebrate it in Israel.

It began with an invitation to a community tree planting in a neighborhood near our house, where many of the kids we work with live. We all worked together to dig holes and plant various seedlings around the courtyards of their apartment blocks. It was a great opportunity to help them do something that they will derive benefit from for years, long after we have all left Ramla. After the tree planting, I noticed some boys explaining to others that I am the new soccer coach, so I used the opportunity to get a ball and gather the boys for a quick game with the ISC 2 volunteers.

Due to the fact that Tu B’Shevat fell on Shabbat this year, our formal celebration had to be delayed until Sunday, a rainy day when we joined the members of Israel Service Corps 3 – Go Galilee for a day of exploration in Jerusalem. The rain did not stop the group tree planting organized by MASA on Kibbutz Nachshon. We joined about 500 participants of other MASA programs to bury our seedlings in mud and celebrate literally becoming one with the land of Israel, as it covered our shoes in a thick layer of the homeland. We then proceeded on to visit the military cemetery at Mount Herzl and the newer multimedia museum about Herzl’s life. After a quick jaunt out into the rain to see the menorah in front of the Knesset, we capped our day off with a visit to a giant cow slide, complete with three tongues for a wet and muddy sliding experience. After most of the groups’ pants were soaked through, we headed home to get ready for our seder.

When I had found out earlier that no one else in the group had ever done a Tu B’Shevat seder, I knew I had to organize one, to share the fun of this tradition with them. So, after drying out a little bit, I gathered all of our various fruits and nuts and a Hagaddah from the JNF and we had a festive meal, complete with 4 glasses of wine, plenty of good bounty from Israel, dancing, and games. It was an enjoyable holiday seder and I hope that it helped the rest of the group see why I am so fond of this holiday.

All-in-all, my first Tu B’Shevat in Israel was a great one and I look forward to celebrating many more familiar holidays in a new way, finally in my homeland.