Tu B’Shevat, the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, is the New Year for Trees. This is the date used to calculate the age of trees for tithing. It has become a custom to collect money on this date to plant trees in Israel. The day may also be celebrated with fruits, especially those associated with Israel.

• Tu B’Shevat — A basic introduction from Judaism 101
• Tu B’Shvat — Articles and information from the Torah.org website
• Trees and their New Year in Rabbinic Judaism: Trees were viewed in both economic and symbolic terms by the Rabbis of Talmudic times, as explained in this article from the My Jewish Learning site.
• Tu Bishvat — The New Year for Trees — This article from the Jerusalem Post describes how the Tu Bishvat tradition of planting trees began in Israel.

Recipes

• Recipes — A collection of holiday recipes from the archives of the rec.food.cuisine.jewish newsgroup
• Noshin’: A Taste of Tu B’Shevat — Suggested holiday recipes from TCJewFolk site, “The Twin Cities Hub for Hip Jewish Stuff.”

Planting Trees

• How to Plant a Tree — Start to finish instructions for tree planting from This Old House Magazine.
• How to Plant a Tree — Tips for successfully planting and caring for trees from TreePeople.org

The Cornell Guide for Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs — This publication from Cornell University provides more extensive information on selecting, planting, and caring for trees.