This Jan. 21 event was postponed. If you'd like to attend the rescheduled event on Jan. 28, please register/re-register for the Tu B'Shvat Seder on Jan. 28 the event page.

A celebration for the Havurah community to the holiday also known as New Year's for Trees: Come be together for this Tu B'shvat gathering starting at Tryon State Park.

Havurahniks, please RSVP for the this seder (register, below); space is limited to 40 people. 

• When you register, please include all attendees in your party in your count, including both adults and children (i.e., if you are bringing two adults and two children, please register for four people).
• Additionally, in the required Notes section, please also specify how many adults and children there are in your party (e.g., "2 adults," "1 adult, 3 children," "1 adult," etc. Noting the ages of any children coming is also appreciated.).
• Registered for the seder but realized you need to cancel? Email Harriet Cooke to let her know. "2024 Tu B'shvat Seder Cancelation" is a good email subject line.
• Does this webpage indicate that registration is full below but you'd like to attend the seder? Even if registration appears full, Tu B'shvat seder slots may in fact still be (or may become) available. Please email Harriet Cooke to ask to be on the waitlist. "2024 Tu B'Shvat Seder Waitlist" is a good email subject line.

Also, please be aware that the gathering is set to begin with a hike from Tryon State Park visitor center to the farm holding the seder, although there is also limited parking available at the farm itself and near the farm.

Important Details on the Tu B'Shvat Seder, Coordinated by the Havurah Climate Action Team (HCAT)

Trees in a forest forge a Oneness called the wood-wide web … Research demonstrates trees are much more than competitive crusaders for themselves. They are members of a connected, caring, communicating, relating community. … Only people who understand trees are capable of protecting them.

— From The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

500 years ago, Jewish mystics, called Kabbalists, started the original Tu B’Shevat seder. This midwinter celebration marks the time when the sap begins to rise, before the visible signs of spring emerge. The kabbalists said blessings, ate the fruits and nuts of the trees from the land of Israel, studied the Torah and the Talmud, and wove their studies into the spiritual Tree of Life.

Since then, Jewish communities have created Tu B'Shevat celebrations to honor our connections to trees. Often, trees are planted in honor of Tu B'Shevat. At Havurah, the Climate Action Team (HCAT) takes this time to connect to the central place of trees for the life on our planet, their role in maintaining a livable climate, the threats to our trees, and how we can help protect and sustain healthy forests and trees.

This year, HCAT invites our community to celebrate Tu B'Shevat for a family friendly seder at Tryon Life Farm. We'll hike from Tryon State Park visitors center to the farm where we will hold the seder before hiking back to the park. The hike is about 20 to 30 minutes one way and includes a slope down to the creek and up to the farm. For those unable to hike a slope, limited parking is available at the farm and off of Boones Ferry Road at the entrance to the farm. The farm is rugged and not wheelchair accessible.

Please be sure to RSVP for the Jan. 21 seder, as space is limited. The seder is set to take place from 1 pm to 3 pm on Sunday, January 21. For questions about the seder, contact Harriet Cooke.

For more opportunities for climate action, including upcoming opportunities to join in issue-based lobbing efforts, join us at our monthly HCAT (Havurah Climate Action Team) meeting on the fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. in Zoom Room Gimel.

Tu B’ Shevat blessings to you all and the trees!

- Harriet Cooke and HCAT