Three branches, one tree In modern-day Israel, the 15th of Shevat (Tu B Shevat), is a day to celebrate the ecology and plant trees. by Ofer Bavly on February 25, 2021
The Straussman family planting a willow tree on Tu B’Shevat in their backyard. Photo credit: Guy Yechiely, Jewish Agency for Israel.
As far back as the Mishnah, the 15th day of the month of Shevat on the Jewish calendar has been celebrated as the new year for the trees a day to celebrate nature and our people s connection to the land.
The father of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, described a utopian future state of Israel, placing high importance on the values of environmentalism and ecology 50 years before the state was established and long before the creation of the green movement.