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Tu B'Shvat Haggadah ‫הגדה של ט״ו בשבט‬ SEDER & SOURCEBOOK

Adamah PEOPLE . PLANET . PURPOSE

Our mission is to cultivate vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth, catalyzing culture change and systemic change through immersive experiences, Jewish environmental education, leadership development, and climate action. adamah.org | info@adamah.org

Editors and Designers, 2025 Edition: Liore Milgrom-Gartner, David Rendsburg Special thanks to Former Adamah and Hazon staff who have guided the creation of this haggadah over the years: Judith Belasco, Arielle Cohen, Becky O'Brien, Rabbi Nate DeGroot, Hannah Elovitz, Anna Hanau, Hannah Henza, Daniel Infeld, Lisa Kaplan, Leah Koenig, Rachel Loebl, Sabrina Mallach, Elan Margulies, Rachel Miller, Ben Murane, Deborah Newbrun, Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Nigel Savage, Elisheva Urbas, and Jake Wilkenfeld-Mongillo. Adamah gratefully acknowledges the support of our funders, without whom none of our work would be possible. A special thank you to the following funders and organizations who have helped us to develop our Tu B’Shvat materials over the years: The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation; The Jim Joseph Foundation; The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation; UJA-Federation of New York; The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore; The William Davidson Foundation; The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties; Moishe House. Copyright © 2025 Adamah This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike License. You may use the content of this haggadah in your own work, as long as you provide attribution to Adamah and (if necessary) the original author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Printed on recycled paper. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS What is Tu B’Shvat?

Crafting Your Seder

Climate Vocabulary

The Seder The First Cup

The Second Cup

The Third Cup

The Fourth Cup

Grace After Meals

Songs

The State of the Forest

Science and Statistics

Activities

Additional Jewish Texts

About Adamah

Purchasing Guide

WHAT IS TU B'SHVAT? Why Do We Celebrate It? You can trace the recent history of Tu B’Shvat seders like branches on a tree. As with much of Jewish tradition, the practice and focus of Tu B'Shvat changed throughout the centuries.

The Modern Seder

Historical Roots

The origins of Tu B’Shvat remind us that we are the descendants of an indigenous people, heirs to an ancient wisdom whose echoes can inform our choices today on subjects like how to eat in a manner that is healthy for us and sustainable for the whole planet, or how to rest in a 24/7 world.

The roots of Tu B’Shvat stretch back to the beginnings of organized Jewish life. We learn from the Mishnah (Tractate Rosh Hashanah) that “the New Year of the Trees” divided the tithing of one year’s crop from the next – the end and start of the tax year, so to speak. After the expulsion from the Land of Israel, Tu B’Shvat went underground, like a seed, ungerminated, lying beneath the soil of Jewish thought and life. The expulsion from Spain in 1492 scattered Jews in many directions, and some landed in Tzfat. Like a forest fire that cracks open seeds dormant for decades, Tzfat’s kabbalists rediscovered Tu B’Shvat and began a period of mystical celebration of the festival. The idea and structure of Tu B’Shvat seders trace back to them. In the early 20th century, Tu B'Shvat was one of many traditions revived by early pioneers to Palestine to mark a reconnection to the land of Israel. To this day, Tu B'Shvat is often a day when Jews around the world plant trees in Israel (often via JNF). The fourth phase of Tu B’Shvat’s flowering was pollinated by the first Earth Day in 1970 and by growing alarm at the degradation of the planet’s resources. Its ground was fertilized by the countercultural havurah movement, and the beginnings of an upsurge in Jewish renewal and creativity. 4

Each of us can draw upon these roots to sprout our own branches, seeds, and fruits.

The kabbalistic Tu B’Shvat of Tzfat encourages us to open ourselves to mystery, wonder, creativity, and celebration; this is an oral wisdom, something learned from others, rather than from books. Naomi Shemer’s contemporary song, “Shirat Ha'Asavim,” is based on a Reb Nachman story about angels encouraging each blade of grass simply to grow. The spreading in many parts of the Jewish world of drums, yoga, and meditation is part of this phenomenon. So, too, is the way that “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu,” written originally by the Israeli band Sheva, has become this generation’s anthem. As we strive to connect to joyous moment in Jewish life, Tu B’Shvat is a helps celebrate new life and new beginnings, physical and cultural. Tu B’Shvat in connection with the land of Israel prompts us to think afresh about Jews' physical connection to land. Whether at Kibbutzim in Israel or in Jewish farms locally, we are renewing our connection with the land - and with that comes a growing awareness of the need to preserve the environment.

Tu B’Shvat is a fine time to think about how your local institutions can be part of the solution to the climate crisis, whether through small steps like creating a community garden at your synagogue or by having an organization join Adamah's Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition. Tu B'Shvat Today Tu B’Shvat today helps us see in miniature the broader shape of contemporary Jewish renewal. It is one of the clearest examples of the rebirth of rooted Jewish life after the Holocaust. The charred site of a forest fire slowly gives birth to new growth, and 40 or 50 years later a new forest stands in its place. Each of the elements of that forest grows literally from seeds that survived the fire, yet the forest itself has its own unique characteristics. Today’s Tu B’Shvat seders grow organically from more than 2,000 years of Jewish tradition; yet the vital elements of them are new and reflect the world we live in. The encounter of postmodern urban life with contemporary environmental challenges is renewing Jewish life in unanticipated ways. It is an opportunity to deepen our roots, and to branch out afresh to engage the world. We're dealing right now with immense global and civilizational challenges. Ten of the hottest years in human history happened in the last fifteen years. We're suffering extreme weather events with increasing frequency, and the human toll is considerable, including the record number of deaths and the Jewish institutions and communities that burned down in the recent California fires.

We have killed trees to build cities and skyscrapers and to produce meat and dairy farms. We have killed trees for the benefit of a small number of people, at the cost and destruction of planet Earth, our habitat, our home. Science also tells us that there’s not a enough available land to plant as many trees as companies say they will plant. We're physically abusing the world that sustains us, and every country, every human culture, and every religion now needs to address these issues. We have a clear moral obligation to address these issues. Tu B'Shvat comes to remind us to do so. Tu B'Shvat with Adamah It’s one thing to acknowledge and celebrate the fruit which comes from trees, and it is a whole other level to consider the trees’ current state in a world of deforestation and climate disaster. The Adamah Tu B'Shvat Haggadah does both. It encourages the reader to not only think about trees and the fruit they bear, but also the role trees play in protecting and healing our planet, and the actions we can take to make it so. It helps us find ways of mitigating our individual and collective contributions to climate change while also showing us how the Jewish tradition compels us to respond. The next few pages walk through different ways to use this Haggadah. Whether you embrace the kabbalistic understanding of Tu B'Shvat, focus on Jewish texts, or learn about moden climate issues, we hope that the Adamah haggadah will enhance your celebration of this ancient tradition. 5

CRAFTING YOUR SEDER The Adamah Tu B’Shvat Haggadah is designed to cultivate a similar setting to a Passover seder – creating conversation with friends, peers, and colleagues, while enjoying wine and special foods. While Passover focuses on slavery and freedom, Tu B'Shvat focuses on pertinent issues relating to ecology, the environment, and sustainability – and how we consider the changing needs of the world in every generation so we can best ensure a safer, stronger, and more sustainable world.

First Steps Ahead of your seder, consider the following:

• • • •

How many people are you expecting and what are their ages? What is their level of knowledge on the topics you want to explore? Are you serving a full meal, or just focusing on the symbolic foods? What special food or other supplies do you need?

There are many resources throughout this haggadah that will help you to prepare.

The Kabbalistic Four Worlds This haggadah is loosely based on the traditional kabbalistic Tu B'Shvat seder with four cups of wine paired with symbolic foods. The four sections recall the four cups of the Passover seder, which also includes four questions and four sons. On Passover the four cups represent the four means through which the Jewish people left Pharaoh's servitude. For Tu B'Shvat, the Kabbalists associated each cup to one of the "Four Worlds" – a mystical construct that categorizes the spiritual realms. Mystical tradition assigns various aspects of self and of God to each world. The kabbalistic understanding of each world helps frame the journey through the types of wine and symbolic foods. We offer a short explanation of each world at the start of each section. The chart on the facing page can also serve as a guide. Many find the kabbalistic worlds difficult to understand. Don’t worry, you can have a seder full of wine, fresh fruit, and thoughtful discussion without focusing on the mystical concepts. There are texts from Jewish tradition and scientific components interspersed throughout this haggadah which are more than enough to spark engaging and thought-provoking conversation.

Food and Drink Cups of Wine There is a tradition to have four cups of wine – beginning with white and progressing to red wine for the final cup. Be sure to have a selection of each available – as well as red and white grape juice for those who don't drink wine. Most people won't drink four full large cups of wine, so depending on your guests and the size of your cups, we recommend estimating 6-10 cups per bottle. Symbolic Foods There is a tradition to eat various fruits and nuts after each of the first three cups, divided in categories based on which part is edible (just the inside, just the outside, or fully edible). A purchasing guide with quantity suggestions can be found on page 39. To ensure a smooth event, we suggest that you have platters of fruit and nuts on the tables ahead of time. Since there will be peels and pits left over, you may want to have some empty bowls available. If you don't already compost, see if you can find somewhere nearby to bring food scraps from your seder.

FIRST WORLD

SECOND WORLD

THIRD WORLD

FOURTH WORLD

KABBALISTIC SPHERE

‫ עשיה‬Asiyah

‫ יצִירה‬Yetzirah

‫ בריאה‬B’riyah

‫ אצילות‬Atzilut

WINE MIXTURE

entirely white

½ white ½ red

¾ red ¼ white

red with a drop of white

SYMBOLIC FOODS

fruit and nuts with shells and peels

fruit with inedible pits and seeds

entirely edible fruits

spiritual sustenance / only smell

Action

Formation

Thought

Spirit

Serving a Full Meal If you choose to serve a full meal, we suggest the following: First cup:

eating just the symbolic foods as an appetizer. If your seder is on Shabbat, we have provided the full text of Kiddush in this section.

Second cup: serving the main course If you are serving bread, we have provided the blessings for ritually washing hands and eating bread in this section. Third cup:

serving dessert

Fourth cup: no food served Bless the fourth cup after reciting Grace After Meals (page 26). 7

CRAFTING YOUR SEDER Texts, Discussions, and Activities There is no set text for a Tu B'Shvat seder. One could move quickly through each of the four sections, but we encourage you to explore the texts presented here. As the Tu B'Shvat seder is punctuated by four cups of wine, this Haggadah has four key sections. Each one contains the following components, color coded as follows:

• • • • • •

An introductory framing and intention The blessings over the wine and symbolic fruit A section of texts from the wide range of Jewish tradition A summary of a key scientific topic related to the climate crisis Action items related to Environmental Teshuva Discussion questions

Framing the Conversation Ahead of your seder, think about your guests and decide which texts to read and the style of the seder you would like:

• • •

Do you want to read the framing and intention out loud? Or do you want guests to read together in small groups or by table? Do you want to focus on frontal teaching or include other activities? Will the Torah, science, and four questions be discussed by table, in group discussion, or in pairs?

There is no wrong way to do a Tu B'Shvat seder, although we recommend trying to engage everyone by varying the teaching style throughout the evening. You may also choose to break up the discussions with some short activities (p. 32) or with songs (p. 27, with more at adamah.org/tubshvat). We hope that you choose texts relevant to those gathered to inspire meaningful conversations.

CLIMATE VOCABULARY Carbon Carbon makes up much of the living world, including our own bodies, and is the primary element in the two most significant greenhouse gases (GHG): carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). When fossil fuels such as oil and coal are burned, CO2 is released. Methane is a gas released from a range of human activities including coal mining and agriculture. Carbon in its solid and gaseous forms are naturally occurring, yet human behavior since the Industrial Revolution has tilted the balance towards an excess of GHGs that is leading to the climate crisis.

Carbon footprint

Deforestation

The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, product, etc.

The clearing of forests by humans.

Carbon sequestration The long-term removal of CO2 or CH4 from the atmosphere by holding it in liquid or solid form.

Carbon sink A forest, ocean, or other natural reservoir that stores carboncontaining chemical compounds accumulated over an indefinite period of time.

GHGs: Greenhouse Gases Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Examples include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Photosynthesizers Plants and organisms that derive energy from the sun and absorb CO2.

Reforestation Planting trees where humans once cut them down.

THE FIRST CUP "Our actions and inactions create and destroy the world." – Jonathan Safran Foer, We Are the Weather, p. 60

Asiyah  Action We are a small seed, waiting patiently to fulfill our potential and grow into a beautiful tree. Kabbalistically, the first cup is defined as Asiyah, Action. It is the realm of the concrete, the physical. At this level, the greatest need is for protection, for shields and defenses. It is risky to let our defenses down, to open up, to peel off protective shells. This world is represented by fruits with an inedible outer shell and an edible inner core. As with most Jewish rituals, we begin our Tu B’Shvat seder with a cup of wine. The first cup we drink at the seder is traditionally pure white. For the Kabbalists it represents the beginning – the time when creation began with the separation of light from darkness, the first spark of divine creation.

Climate 101  Why Does Action Matter? We exist at our fullest capacity when we contribute to this beautiful loop of interdependence. For millennia, humans have had the wisdom to act in accordance with nature’s cycle; to see ourselves not as a burden to the earth, but as important contributors to a greater whole. As a piece of the whole, we also have the ability to disrupt the cycle, to forget our accountability to the rest of creation, and to burden the planet with our vanity. Today, this is where we find ourselves. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have been responsible for a 1.1°C / 2°F rise in average global temperature. That might not sound like much, but our earth requires balance, much like our bodies. Imagine what would be happening to your body if your temperature rose by that much? Where will we be by 2030? Unless we alter course, it is projected that global temperatures will continue to rise, further endangering this precious balance.

Intention for the First Cup Celebrating Tu B’Shvat, the rosh hashanah of the trees, take a moment to consider the life flowing through this room. Inhale and allow the oxygen in the air to fuel your body. As you exhale, consider the carbon dioxide that you are gifting to the photosynthesizers, who convert it into nourishment for hungry mouths. Your breath feeds plants and trees, which feed us, which help the planet. Bodies then turn these nutrients into fertilizer, destined to become the soil on which all life depends. Buds sprout from this soil, offering us the oxygen necessary to, once again, inhale. With every inhale we remember our dependence on trees and nature as a whole, and every exhale reminds us of our responsibility to protect it. As we say the first blessing over wine or grape juice, let us remember that the Jewish tradition sees humans as having agency. We can impact change through our actions. We have agency to destroy and agency to heal. 10

The Blessing Over the First Cup We each fill our cup with white wine and say the blessing together: If your seder is on Shabbat, recite the Shabbat Kiddush over the first cup: Friday night

Saturday day

‫וַ יְ ִהי ֶע ֶרב וַ יְ ִהי בֹ ֶֹקר יֹום ַה ׁ ִּש ׁ ִּשי׃ וַ יְ כֻ ּּלּו ַה ׁ ָּש ַמיִ ם וְ ָה ַַָא ֶרץ וְ ָכל‬ ‫אכ ּּתֹו ֲא ׁ ֶשר ָע ָשׂה‬ ְ ‫ְצ ָב ַַָאם׃ וַ יְ ַכל ֱאֹל ִֹהים ַּביֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִביעי ְמ ַל‬ ‫אכ ּּתֹו ֲא ׁ ֶשר ָע ָשׂה׃ וַ יְ ָב ֶר ְְך‬ ְ ‫וַ יִ ׁ ְש ּבֹת ַּבּיּ ֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִביעי ִמ ָּכל ְמ ַל‬ ‫ֱאֹל ִֹהים ֶאת יֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִב ִיעי וַ יְ ַק ֵּד ׁׁש אֹֹתֹו ִּכי בֹו ׁ ָש ַבת ִמ ָּכל‬ ‫אכ ּּתֹו ֲא ׁ ֶשר ָּב ָרא ֱאֹל ִֹהים ַל ֲעׂשֹׂות׃‬ ְ ‫ְמ ַל‬

‫ ַל ֲעׂשֹׂות ֶאת ַה ׁ ַּש ָּבת‬,‫וְ ׁ ָש ְמרּו ְבנֵ י יִ ְש ָׂר ֵאל ֶאת ַה ׁ ַּש ָּבת‬ ‫ ֵּבינִ י ֵּובין ְּבנֵ י יִ ְש ָׂר ֵאל אֹות ִהיא‬.‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫ ְּב ִרית‬,‫ְלדֹרֹ ָֹתם‬ ‫ ִּכי ׁ ֵש ׁ ֶשת יָ ִמים ָע ָשׂה יְ הוָ ה ֶאת ַה ׁ ָּש ַמיִ ם וְ ֶאת‬:‫ְלעֹ ָֹלם‬ .‫ ׁ ָש ַבת וַ ִּי ָּנ ַפ ׁׁש‬,‫ ַּובּיֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִב ִיעי‬,‫ָה ַָא ֶרץ‬

.‫עֹולם ּּבֹורֵ א ְּפרִ י ַה ָּג ֶפן‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ ‫ֹותיו‬ ָ ‫ ֲא ׁ ֶשר ִק ְּד ׁ ָשנּו ְּב ִמ ְצ‬,‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ ,‫ וְ ׁ ַש ָּבת ָק ְד ׁׁשֹו ְּב ַַא ֲה ָבה ְּוב ָרצֹון ִהנְ ִח ָילנּו‬,‫וְ ַָר ָצה ָבנּו‬ ‫ ִּכי הּוא יֹום ְּת ִח ָּלה ְל ִמ ְק ָר ֵאי קֹ ֶֹד ׁׁש‬.‫אשית‬ ִ ׁ ‫ז ִָּכרֹון ְל ַמ ֲע ֵשׂה ְב ֵר‬ ‫אֹותנּו ִק ַּד ׁ ְש ָּת ִמ ָּכל‬ ָ ְ‫ ִּכי ָבנּו ָב ַח ְר ָּת ו‬.‫ז ֵֶכר ִל ִיצ ַיַאת ִמ ְצ ָריִ ם‬ .‫ָה ַע ִּמים וְ ׁ ַש ָּבת ָק ְד ׁ ְש ַָך ְּב ַַא ֲה ָבה ְּוב ָרצֹון ִהנְ ַח ְל ָּתנּו‬ ‬.‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ְמ ַק ֵּד ׁׁש ַה ׁ ַש ָּבת‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬

‫ ׁ ֵש ׁ ֶשת יָ ִמים ַּת ֲעבֹֹד‬.‫זָכֹור ֶאת יֹום ַה ׁ ַּש ָּבת ְל ַק ְּד ׁׁשֹו‬ ‫ וְ יֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִב ִיעי ׁ ַש ָּבת ַליהוָ ה‬.‫אכ ֶּת ַָך‬ ְ ‫ׂית ָּכל ְמ ַל‬ ָ ‫וְ ָע ִש‬ ,‫אכה ַַא ָּתה ִּובנְ ַָך ִּוב ֶּת ַָך‬ ָ ‫ ֹלֹא ַת ֲע ֶשׂה ָכל ְמ ָל‬:‫ֱאֹל ֶֹה ְְָיך‬ ‫ ִּכי‬.‫ ֲא ׁ ֶשר ִּב ׁ ְש ָע ֶר ַָיך‬,‫ וְ גֵ ְר ַָך‬,‫ַע ְב ְּד ַָך וַ ֲא ָמ ְת ַָך ְּוב ֶה ְמ ֶּת ַָך‬ ,‫ׁ ֵש ׁ ֶשת יָ ִמים ָע ָשׂה יְ הוָ ה ֶאת ַה ׁ ָּש ַמיִ ם וְ ֶאת ָה ַָּא ֶרץ‬ .‫ וַ ָּינַ ח ַּבּיּ ֹום ַה ׁ ְּש ִב ִיעי‬,‫ֶאת ַה ָּים וְ ֶאת ָּכל ֲא ׁ ֶשר ָּבם‬

.‫ ֵּב ַר ְְך יְ הוָ ה ֶאת יֹום ַה ׁ ַּש ָּבת וַ יְ ַק ְּד ׁ ֵשהּו‬,‫ַעל ֵּכן‬ ‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ .‬‫ּּבֹורֵ א ְּפרִ י ַה ָּג ֶפן‬

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹלֹ ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ּּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ַה ָּג ֶפן‬creator of fruit of the vine. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.ga.fen. We conclude with the blessing traditionally recited on special occasions:

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ׁ ֶש ֶה ֱחיָ נּו וְ ִק ְּי ָמנּו וְ ִה ִּג ָיענּו ַלז ְַמן ַהזֶה‬who granted us life, sustained us, and brought us to this day. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, she.he.chi.ya.nu v'.ki.y'.ma.nu v'.hi.gi.a.nu la.z’.man ha.zeh.

The First Fruit Fruits for this world have edible interiors, but an inedible shell or peel. This includes all citrus fruits, all nuts, pomegranates, sabras, bananas*, and pineapples*. Hold the first fruit or nut and say one of the following blessings:

...‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹלֹ ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe... .‫ּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ָה ֵעץ‬... ּ ...creator of fruit of the tree. *.‫ּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ָהאדמה‬... ּ ...creator of fruit of the ground.* Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.etz / bo.rei p’.ri ha.a.da.ma.* *Note: On most fruits we recite the blessing ‫ברא פרי העץ‬, bo.rei p'.ri ha.etz, creator of fruit of the tree. This blessing is reserved for fruits whose trees have a trunk and branches that remain even after the fruit's removal, and grow new fruit each year. Other fruits, like bananas and pineapples, grow on bushes or trees that whither and regenerate each year, and therefore the blessing for them is ‫ ברא פרי האדמה‬bo.rei p'.ri ha.a.da.ma, creator of fruit of the earth. If serving a full meal, we recommend serving only the symbolic fruit now. THE FIRST CUP

The Tradition Moshe’s final sermon and “pep-talk” for future generations, found in Deuteronomy, is rich with teachings about individual agency and choice. The following passage, “Not in Heaven,” reflects this very notion. Not in Heaven

‫ ִּּכי ַה ִּמ ְצוָ ה ַהּזֹֹאת ֲא ׁ ֶׁשר ַָּאנֹ ִֹכי ְמ ַצּוְ ְְָך ַהּיֹום‬Surely, this commandment which I command to you this day ‫ ֹלֹא נִ ְפ ֵלאת ִהוא ִמ ְּמ ְְָך וְ ֹלֹא ְרחֹ ָֹקה ִהוא׃‬is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. ‫ ֹלֹא ַב ׁ ָּׁש ַמיִ ם ִהוא ֵלאמֹֹר‬It is not in the heavens, that you should say, ‫“ ִמי יַ ֲע ֶלה ָּלנּו ַה ׁ ָּׁש ַמיְ ָמה וְ יִ ָּק ֶח ָה ָּלנּו‬Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us ‫ וְ יַ ׁ ְׁש ִמ ֵענּו אֹ ָֹתּה וְ נַ ֲע ֶׂשּנָ ה׃‬and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” ‫ וְ ֹלֹא ֵמ ֵע ֶבר ַלּיָ ם ִהוא ֵלאמֹֹר‬Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‫“ ִמי יַ ֲע ָבר ָלנּו ֶאל ֵע ֶבר ַהּיָ ם וְ יִ ָּק ֶח ָה ָּלנּו‬Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get ‫ וְ יַ ׁ ְׁש ִמ ֵענּו אֹ ָֹתּה וְ נַ ֲע ֶׂשּנָ ה׃‬it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” ‫ ִּּכי ָקרֹוב ֵא ֶל ָיְך ַה ָּד ָבר ְמאֹֹד‬No, the thing is very close to you, ‫ ְּּב ִפ ְְָיך ִּוב ְל ָב ְב ְְָך ַל ֲעׂשֹֹתֹו׃‬in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it. – Deuteronomy 30:11-14 In connection to a statement in the Mishna about the importance of Torah study, the Gemara relates the following incident:

‫וכבר היה רבי טרפון וזקנים‬ ‫מסובין בעלית בית נתזה בלוד‬ ‫נשאלה שאילה זו בפניהם‬ ‫תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול‬ ‫נענה רבי טרפון ואמר מעשה גדול‬ ‫נענה רבי עקיבא ואמר תלמוד גדול‬ ‫נענו כולם ואמרו תלמוד גדול‬ ‫שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה‬

And already it happened that Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them: Is study greater or is action greater? Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, for study brings one to action. – Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40b

Creative Seder Activity: Name that Tree How many different species of trees can you name?

THE FIRST CUP

The Science Atmospheric Carbon Today, the level of atmospheric carbon has reached a historic high. Earth has not sustained this much pollution in its air in millions of years. Today, the earth is facing a tremendous challenge to support the countless species on its surface, including us. We know that we are the cause of this burden. We also know that we must present solutions, and we must do so quickly. Our individual and collective actions have led to a significant turning away from coalpowered energy plants, an increasing interest in sustainable agriculture, and evolving supply chains that lead to more sustainable production methods around the world. Each of these sectors produce significant GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and yet we have seen significant change in the last year. Our choices matter, and we have the power to create real and lasting change. We can choose the path of creation. If our actions have the power to destroy, surely they have the power to heal.

Four Questions As we celebrate rosh hashanah of the trees, to what extent do you feel bound to a covenant of earth stewardship? When do you feel powerful in the face of our changing climate? When do you feel powerless? What barriers exist to you feeling like your actions can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable world? What would it take for you to feel ready to act in the face of our changing climate?

Action Please help me to always make use of my capacity for belief in a way that brings me closer to You. Belief in the power of my errors won’t necessarily lead me to correct them. Belief in the power of teshuvah will. – Based on Likutey Moharan II:112 Individual choice, while it may feel small, has an impact. We are adam/human, created as one with adamah/earth. It is the essence of who we are. May we find our own agency and utility and together may we partake in an environmental teshuva: Let us return to our best and truest selves. Let us cultivate a deeper understanding that we are a part of the natural world. Let us step back into our role as part of a symbiotic relationship with the world. Let us plant a seed. THE FIRST CUP

THE SECOND CUP "We do not have the luxury of living in our time. We cannot go about our lives as if they were only ours. In a way that was not true for our ancestors, the lives we live will create a future that cannot be undone." – Jonathan Safran Foer, We Are the Weather, p. 68

Yetzirah  Human Creation Our seed grows into a sapling, maturing and gaining strength, but not yet fully formed. The Kabbalists defined the world of Yetzirah, Formation, as a world of inwardness, emotion, and a sense of feeling. The need for protection and reinforcement is an inner matter of the core, of the heart. This world is represented by fruits with edible outer flesh and pithy, inedible cores. The second cup of wine is an even mixture of white and red. For the Kabbalists, the white represented the spark of Divine holiness and the red is the flame of life which has begun to burn within it.

Climate Dangers and Current Deforestation Since the Industrial Revolution we have seen the rise of some of humanity's most creative inventions. We have cured diseases, learned to feed millions of people, and dominated the globe with methods of transportation that encourage our wildest imaginations and stock our supermarket shelves with exactly what we want 365 days a year. The average person alive today lives more comfortably than humans have ever lived before. But with this comfort comes a cost we do not calculate in our express shipping and daily bananas. Each product, food, or garment purchased tells a remarkable story of globalization, and too often that story is one of destruction and exploitation. Each year we see millions of acres of forest clearcut or set on fire to make way for cattle grazing, palm oil production, or other agricultural demand. Not only does this result in a loss of up to 80% of the biodiversity and unique species in these areas, but forests are also one of our greatest carbon sequestration tools.

Creative Seder Activity: I am a Tree! If you were a tree, what are five things you would tell humans?

THE SECOND CUP

Intention for the Second Cup In what ways are you like a tree? What are your leaves like? Your roots? Where do you sit? Who do you sit with? As we bless this next cup, may we be reminded of our symbiotic relationship with nature, and how Jewish tradition compels each of us as humans to play our unique role in stewarding the earth, to keep it safe and sacred.

The Blessing Over the Second Cup We each fill our cup with a mix of white and red wine and say the blessing together:

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ּּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ַה ָּג ֶפן‬creator of fruit of the vine. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.ga.fen.

The Second Fruit Fruits for this world have an inedible core, but edible outside. This include apricots, cherries, dates, mangos, nectarines, olives, peaches, and plums. Hold the second fruit and say the following blessing:

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ּּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ָה ֵעץ‬creator of fruit of the tree. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.etz. The Blessing over bread If you are serving a full meal, or hosting a seder as part of a Shabbat meal, we recommend this moment to ritually wash and recite the blessing over bread.

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, ‫ֹותיו וְ ִצ ָּונּו‬ ָ ‫ ֲא ׁ ֶשר ִק ְד ׁ ָשנּו ְּב ִמ ְצ‬who sanctified us with commandments and commanded .‫ ַעל נְ ִט ַילת יָ ַדיִ ם‬us on the washing of hands. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, a.sher ki.d'.sha.nu b'.mitz.vo.tav v'.tzi.va.nu al n'.ti.lat ya.da.yim.

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ַה ּּמ ִֹוציא ֶל ֶחם ִמן ָה ַָא ֶרץ‬who brings forth bread from the earth. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, ha.mo.tzi le.chem min ha.a.retz. Feel free to serve the main course of your meal during this discussion section. THE SECOND CUP

The Tradition It is not just 21st century sensibilities that prompt us to look at our place in the world – Jewish tradition has been doing that for millennia. The following passages are two such examples from ancient midrashic collections (dating potentially as far back as the 5th century, and often drawing from older material). Our Place in the World

‫רּוך הּוא‬ ְְ ‫דֹוׁש ָּּב‬ ׁ ‫ְּּב ׁ ָׁש ָעה ׁ ֶׁש ָּּב ָרא ַה ָּק‬ ‫ נְ ָטלֹו וְ ֶה ֱחזִירֹו‬,‫אׁשֹון‬ ׁ ‫ֶאת ַָּא ָדם ָה ִר‬ ,‫ וְ ַָּא ַמר לֹו‬,‫ַעל ָּּכל ִא ָילנֵ י ּגַ ן ֵע ֶדן‬ ,‫ְר ֵאה ַמ ֲע ַׂשי ַּּכ ָּמה נָ ִאים ְּומ ׁ ֻׁש ָּּב ִחין ֵהן‬ ,‫אתי‬ ִ ‫אתי ִּּב ׁ ְׁש ִב ְיל ְְָך ָּּב ָר‬ ִ ‫וְ ָכל ַמה ֶּׁש ָּּב ָר‬ ,‫עֹול ִמי‬ ָ ‫ֵּתן ַּד ְע ְּת ְְָך ׁ ֶׁשֹלֹא ְת ַק ְל ֵקל וְ ַת ֲח ִריב ֶאת‬ .‫ׁ ֶׁש ִאם ִק ְל ַק ְל ָּת ֵאין ִמי ׁ ֶׁשיְ ַת ֵּקן ַַא ֲח ֶר ְְָיך‬

When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, adam, God took and led them around all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you." – Kohelet Rabbah 7:13:1

,‫יֹוחאי‬ ָ ‫ָּתנֵ י ַר ִּּבי ׁ ִׁש ְמעֹון ַּּבר‬ ‫יֹוׁש ִבין ִּּב ְס ִפינָ ה‬ ְ ׁ ‫ָמ ׁ ָׁשל ִל ְבנֵ י ַָּא ָדם ׁ ֶׁש ָהיּו‬ ,‫קֹוד ַח ַּת ְח ָּתיו‬ ֵ ‫נָ ַטל ֶא ָחד ֵמ ֶהן ַמ ְק ֵּד ַח וְ ִה ְת ִחיל‬ ,‫עֹוׂשה‬ ֶ ְ‫יֹוׁשב ו‬ ֵ ׁ ‫ַָּא ְמרּו לֹו ֲח ֵב ָריו ַמה ַַא ָּתה‬ ‫ַַָּא ַמר ָל ֶהם ָמה ִא ְכ ַּפת ָל ֶכם‬ ,‫קֹוד ַח‬ ֵ ‫ֹלֹא ַת ְח ִּתי ֲאנִ י‬ ‫עֹולין ְּומ ִצ ִיפין ָע ֵלינּו‬ ִ ‫ַָּא ְמרּו לֹו ׁ ֶׁש ַה ַּמיִ ם‬ :)‫ ד‬,‫ֶאת ַה ְּס ִפינָ ה ָּּכ ְְך ַָּא ַמר ִאּיֹוב (איוב יט‬ ,‫יתי ִא ִּתי ָּת ִלין ְמ ׁׁשּוגָ ִתי‬ ִ ִ‫וְ ַַאף ַָּא ְמנָ ם ׁ ָׁשג‬ ‫ ִּּכי יֹ ִֹסיף ַעל‬:)‫ לז‬,‫ַָּא ְמרּו לֹו ֲח ֵב ָריו (איוב לד‬ ,‫ַח ָּטאתֹו ֶפ ׁ ַׁשע ֵּּבינֵ ינּו יִ ְׂשּפֹוק‬ .‫ֹונֹות ְְָיך‬ ֶ ‫ַַא ָּתה ַמ ְס ִּפיק ֵּּבינֵ ינּו ֶאת ֲע‬

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century sage from the Mishnah) taught a parable: People were on a ship. One of them took a drill and started drilling underneath him. The others said to him: ‘What are you doing?!’ He replied: What do you care. Is this not underneath my area that I am drilling? They said to him: But the water will rise and flood us all on this ship. [The driller replied,] this is as Job said: ‘If indeed I have erred, my error remains with me (Job 19:4).’ His friends said to him: ‘He adds transgression to his sin; he extends it among us (Job 34:37).’ [The people on the ship said]: You extend your sins among us. – Vayikra Rabbah 4:6

Four Questions What do the Jewish texts in this section say about the human capacity for destruction? What happens when unbounded human action leads to climate destruction? What is your relationship to industrial meat and dairy? Do you know its connection to deforestation? Our climate is the result of choices made by those before us (or our younger selves) and future generations' climate will be the result of our choices made today. How does it impact our motivation to act to know that our choices extend beyond ourselves? 16

THE SECOND CUP

The Science We are well aware of our ability to help preserve trees through reducing our use of tree products, recycling paper, and purchasing products made from recycled content. However, less well-known is the connection between our food choices and saving trees. Deforestation Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling combined account for nearly 80% of all deforestation. There is a direct link between beef consumption, deforestation, and climate change. Cutting down trees both adds carbon dioxide to the air and reduces the number of trees absorbing current and future carbon dioxide. South American deforestation is driven by the beef export market, where demand has increased by 25% since 2010. Though not the lead importer, the U.S. did import 300 million pounds in beef from Brazil in 2023. Deforestation however is not limited to the meat industry - dairy farming and demand for products like avocados are damaging our forests as well. We can take action today to tell future generations that we saw the looming threat and chose the side of life, beauty, and creation. Tu B’Shvat is a time to look toward creation for wisdom and lessons of resilience. The trees have felt climate change from their parched roots and scarred bodies. They have been suffocated by contaminated air and cut down for their illustrious beauty. Though billions of trees have been cut down, forestry ecosystems still stand, taking in the carbon dioxide that wreaks havoc on the earth and gifting us humans with oxygen.

Action We know that the consumption of industrial animal products directly causes deforestation and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This increases atmospheric temperatures and disrupts natural cycles – like the water cycle – resulting in catastrophe for millions. While supply chain transparency and “deforestation-free” certification efforts are in the works, there are currently no reliable standards available to help you make tree-friendly food choices. One sure way for your eating habits to contribute less to deforestation is to eliminate or even reduce your beef consumption. You can also shift your purchasing power to buying locally and sourcing regenerative animal-based products. Remember, it’s not all or nothing. Let us honor the gifts that trees offer to our world. Let us muster the strength to acknowledge what small part we play in deforestation, whether it be through the consumption of industrial meat, dairy, or mass-produced cash crops. Let us be reminded that the food we eat and climate change are connected. THE SECOND CUP

THE THIRD CUP "The important measurement is not the distance from unattainable perfection, but from unforgivable inaction." – Jonathan Safran Foer, We Are the Weather, p. 153

B’riyah  God’s Creation Our tree is fully grown, establishing deep roots and wide branches. The third world, Briyah, Thought, is the realm of divine energy flow in which the creation of something from nothing is possible. It is the closest of the three lower worlds to the fourth world of pure spirit. This world is represented by fruits that are edible throughout.

Climate Benefits of Reforestation Jewish tradition teaches that sometimes we need to let the land rest without human intervention, such as during shmita, and at other times, we must work the land and take action, such as during the agricultural holiday cycle. Similarly, it is daunting to face the destruction that we as humans have wreaked on the earth, and yet, we cannot lose hope. Our planet is remarkable in its ability to recover – the natural world has countless ways of recuperating from devastating loss. These processes can only happen when aspects of the environment are left alone. Just like we need rest and a little bit of medicine to heal our ails, so too, the earth needs time, space, and support to heal itself. Simultaneously, one of the most impactful ways we can support this healing is by supporting protected reforestation programs. Many reforestation programs are fronts for the timber-harvesting industry planting trees that will be cut down 15 years from now to create more consumer products. This type of reforestation does nothing to heal the natural world or mitigate climate change. We must make every effort to pursue effective action.

Creative Seder Activity: Create an Edible Tower! Use toothpicks and small fruit like berries or grapes to construct a tower – but make sure to eat it later and compost the toothpicks!

THE THIRD CUP

Intention for the Third Cup “If you believe that you have the ability to destroy, then believe that you have the ability to fix.”

– Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

In what ways might you believe enough in your ability to fix, to start taking action? How might you shift your perspective of your own abilities? How might we tell a story of saving our home planet, that includes reforestation efforts?

The Blessing Over the Third Cup We each fill our cup with mostly red wine and some white, and bless together:

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְְך ָה‬ ְְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ּּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ַה ָּג ֶפן‬creator of fruit of the vine. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.ga.fen.

The Third Fruit Fruits for this world have no inedible parts. This includes berries*, figs, kumquats, persimmons, and star fruit. Hold the third fruit and say the following blessing:

‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, .‫ ּּב ֵֹורא ְּפ ִרי ָה ֵעץ‬creator of fruit of the tree. Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam, bo.rei p’.ri ha.etz. *Note: On strawberries, and possibly raspberries, one recites ‫בורא פרי האדמה‬, creator of fruit of the earth. See page 11.

If serving a full meal, this section is a good time to serve dessert.

THE THIRD CUP

The Tradition Jewish tradition suggests we have a perpetual obligation to plant trees as long as we are alive. The Midrash here cautions humans who might grow lax in their relationship to nature by affirming the deep importance of planting trees for current and future generations. Our Relationship with Trees

.‫( ִּּכי ָּתבֹֹאּו ֶאל ָה ַָּא ֶרץ ּונְ ַט ְע ֶּתם‬Lev. 19:23:) "When you come into the land and plant." ,‫רּוך הּוא ְליִ ְׂש ָר ֵאל‬ ְְ ‫דֹוׁש ָּּב‬ ׁ ‫ַָּא ַמר ָל ֶהם ַה ָּק‬ ,‫אֹותּה ְמ ֵל ַָּאה ָּּכל טּוב‬ ָ ‫ַַאף ַעל ִּפי ׁ ֶׁש ִּת ְמ ְצאּו‬ ,‫ֹאמרּו נֵ ׁ ֵׁשב וְ ֹלֹא נִ ַּטע‬ ְ ֹ‫ֹלֹא ּת‬ :‫ ׁ ֶׁשּנֶ ֱא ַמר‬,‫ֶא ָּלא ֱהוּו ז ְִה ִירין ִּּבנְ ִטיעֹות‬ .‫ּונְ ַט ְע ֶּתם ָּּכל ֵעץ ַמ ֲא ָכל‬ ‫אתם נְ ִטיעֹות ׁ ֶׁשּנָ ְטעּו‬ ֶ ‫ְּּכ ׁ ֵׁשם ׁ ֶׁשּנִ ְכנַ ְס ֶּתם ְּומ ָצ‬ ‫ ׁ ֶׁשֹּלֹא‬.‫נֹוט ִעים ְל ָבנֵ ֶיכם‬ ְ ‫ ַַאף ַַא ֶּתם ֱהיּו‬,‫ֲא ֵח ִרים‬ ‫ ָמה‬,‫ ַּּכ ָּמה ׁ ָׁשנִ ים ֲאנִ י ַחי‬,‫ ֲאנִ י ז ֵָקן‬,‫ֹאמר ַָּא ָדם‬ ַ ֹ‫י‬ .‫ ְל ָמ ָחר ֲאנִ י ֵמת‬,‫עֹומד ִמ ְתיַ ּגֵ ַע ַל ֲא ֵח ִרים‬ ֵ ‫ֲאנִ י‬

The Holy Blessed One said to Israel, "Even though you find it (the land) full of all bounty, you shall not say, 'Let us settle down and not plant.' Rather, be careful in planting, as the verse continues: "and plant any tree for food." Just as you came in and found plantings which others had planted, so you shall plant for your children, lest someone say, 'I am old, how many more years will I live? Why should I toil for others, for tomorrow I shall die.'" – Midrash Tanchuma Kedoshim, 8

‫ אילן אילן במה אברכך‬Tree, tree, withwhat can I bless you? ‫ אם אומר לך שיהו פירותיך מתוקין‬That your fruit may be sweet? ‫ הרי פירותיך מתוקין‬Your fruit is already sweet. ‫ שיהא צילך נאה‬That your shade be pleasant? ‫ הרי צילך נאה‬Your shade is already pleasant. ‫ שתהא אמת המים עוברת תחתיך‬That a spring of water may flow beneath you? ‫ הרי אמת המים עוברת תחתיך‬A spring already flows beneath you. ‫ אלא יהי רצון שכל נטיעות‬Rather, may it be that all plantings ‫ שנוטעין ממך יהיו כמותך‬that are planted from you be as you are. – Talmud Bavli, Ta'anit 5b

THE THIRD CUP

The Science The crux of climate change is that it skews the natural balance of the world. Reforestation Carbon dioxide’s presence in our atmosphere was helpful until it accounted for more than its share of the atmosphere and the balance of gases in the atmosphere was thrown off. Forest fires are nature’s effective and healthy method of periodic cleansing but now they have grown out of control – such as recent fires in Canada and California. Historically, trees were responsibly harvested for their resources, and now they are exploited en masse. The balance has been thrown out of whack; though the scales have been tipped, we most certainly can tip them back. According to Urban Forestry Project, one young tree absorbs 13 pounds of CO2 per year and at 10 years old it will absorb about 48 pounds of CO2 per year. In addition to cleaning our air, trees protect the earth from erosion, add nutrients to the soil, give sweet fruits and sap, and provide homes for many creatures. They are beacons of life and we are blessed to partake in their gifts. A valuable way to show our appreciation is to steward new generations of trees – multiplying their impact and offsetting their destruction, using our power to create for good.

Four Questions In addition to planting trees, what are other ways we can mitigate deforestation, protect and preserve trees, and strengthen our planetary ecosystem? Does understanding trees as God’s blessing change how you look at them? What are scientific and moral/religious reasons to preserve trees? How do you honor the fullness of God’s creation and why would Environmental Teshuva efforts support that?

Action How can we combat the woes of deforestation? Reforestation! Every seed is a promise of hope for a new life and a greener future. One tiny seed contains all of the technology necessary to create a self-sustaining carbon sink that will last for generations. We are blessed to have resources that enable each of us to participate in ecologically responsible tree planting in our local communities. We can each take action individually, and that turns into taking action together, turning single trees into forests – and individuals into thriving communities. Let us root ourselves in connection to the earth, stand strong in our values, and branch out to one another. Let us take in the light of the world to fuel the fruits of our labor. Let us plant trees together, applying the lessons of our ancient, leafy teachers. THE THIRD CUP

THE FOURTH CUP "By making the necessary leap – which is not a leap of faith but a leap of action – we would do more than save our planet. We would make ourselves worthy of salvation." – Jonathan Safran Foer, We Are the Weather, p. 131

Atzilut  Synthesis Our mature tree is now producing fruit, producing seeds for future generations. We have arrived at the final level on our journey, the world of Atzilut, Spirit. For the Kabbalists, this level of pure spirituality is the highest rung on the ladder of creation. We all have a relationship to the physical and to the intangible. The fourth world is about our highest selves, when we are not eating, when we are not thinking of our bodies, when we have all the tools to bring in pure holiness in each moment.

What Does Action Look Like? With a little bit of effort, a few behavioral changes, and a great deal of awareness, we can support a vibrant and healthy earth. When we find a way to embrace and act on our relationship to the natural world, we are capable, as individuals and as a collective, of living in harmony with the many resources earth shares with us – in this instance, forests. These ideas will not only begin a journey toward recovery but also ensure a future for the humans who come after us.

Intention for the Fourth Cup The Talmud teaches (Pesachim 54a) that seven things were created in the spiritual world before the physical world. Teshuva, the desire to be good, to grow, and to be better – was one of them. This teaches us that Teshuva is fundamental to earth's existence. It was a prerequisite for life on this planet. As we raise this next glass, let us consider the Environmental Teshuva needed on this rosh hashanah for the trees.

Creative Seder Activity: Guess that Smell! Put on a blindfold and try to guess a fruit or other food by smell alone. If you need a hint, try to touch or taste it.

THE FOURTH CUP

The Blessing Over the Fourth Cup We each fill our cup with red wine and a drop of white and bless together: You may want to bless and drink this cup of wine as the closing blessing to Birkat HaMazon, Grace after Meals. The full Birkat HaMazon can be found in a bentcher or siddur, and various shorter texts are on page 26. If starting with a zimun, the invitation to bless, the person leading should recite this blessing over the final cup after concluding bentching.

The Fourth Fruit The Kabbalists defined the fourth world as that of spirit, so it has no symbolic food, only what sustains us spiritually. Rather than eating a symbolic fruit, we pause to appreciate its smell. A pleasant fragrance can restore our spirit, even when not eating. For example, on Yom Kippur some make blessings over pleasant fragrances to make up for the lack of blessings one would usually say throughout the day on food. Hold a fragrant fruit or herb and say the approriate blessing before smelling it:

...‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬

Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe...

Ba.ruch a.ta A.do.nai, e.lo.hei.nu me.lech ha.o.lam... For fragrant fruit

.‫יח טֹוב ְּב ֵפרֹות‬ ַ ‫ֹותן ֵר‬ ֵ ּ‫הּנ‬... ַ

...who gives a pleasant smell to fruit.

...ha.no.tein rei.ach tov be.fei.rot. For herbs with woody stems (rosemary, jasmine, etc.)

‫ּב ֵֹורא ֲע ֵצי ְב ָש ִׂמים‬... ּ

...who creates fragrent trees.

...bo.rei a.tzei v'.sa.mim. For plant-like herbs (mint, thyme, etc.)

.‫ּב ֵֹורא ִע ְש ֵׂבי ְב ָש ִׂמים‬... ּ

...who creates fragrent herbs.

...bo.rei is.vei v'.sa.mim.

THE FOURTH CUP

The Tradition A core value of rabbinic Judaism is the idea of progress. Progress is a test of an individual’s character, working towards a goal. The statements below from the rabbis embody these very values. It is not about the results; it is about the process.

Taking Action

],‫אֹומר‬ ֵ ‫ ַ[ר ִּּבי ַט ְרפֹון‬Rabbi Tarfon says: ,‫אכה ִלגְ מֹֹר‬ ָ ‫ ֹלֹא ָע ֶל ְְָיך ַה ְּמ ָל‬It is not upon you to finish the work, ‫חֹורין ִל ָּּב ֵטל ִמ ֶּמּנָ ה‬ ִ ‫ וְ ֹלֹא ַַא ָּתה ֶבן‬but neither are you free to desist from it. – Mishnah Avot (Pirkei Avot) 2:16

,‫אֹומר‬ ֵ ‫ׁ ִׁש ְמעֹון ְּּבנֹו‬ ,‫ָּּכל יָ ַמי ּגָ ַד ְל ִּתי ֵבין ַה ֲח ָכ ִמים‬ .‫אתי ַלּגּוף טֹוב ֶא ָּלא ׁ ְׁש ִת ָיקה‬ ִ ‫וְ ֹלֹא ָמ ָצ‬ .‫ ֶא ָּלא ַה ַּמ ֲע ֶׂשה‬,‫וְ ֹלֹא ַה ִּמ ְד ָר ׁׁש הּוא ָה ִע ָּקר‬ :‫ ֵמ ִביא ֵח ְטא‬,‫וְ ָכל ַה ַּמ ְר ֶּּבה ְד ָב ִרים‬

Shimon, [Rabban Gamliel's] son, says: "All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I did not find anything good for the body except silence. And the exposition [of Torah] is not essential, but the action. And whoever increases words brings sin." – Mishnah Avot (Pirkei Avot) 1:17

The Science Our Future Imagine yourself in 10 years. How old are you? Where are you living? What do you look like? Who are the most important people in your life? The babies will have become the babysitters and a new generation will have entered the world. The children of 2030 will grow up with climate disasters as the norm and we will have lost our chance to show them the world we once knew. Climate scientists agree that if the rise of average global temperature increases to 1.5°C (2.7°F), many natural systems will likely be pushed beyond the point of no return. Fires, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, and food shortages will ravage our lands, our seas, and our lives. Ecosystems, species, habitats, and natural resources will wither away, never to be restored. 2024 was the first year to have hit this catastrophic milestone of 1.5°C (2.7°F) warming, but it need not be the new normal. Over the next decade, our actions have the power to destroy beyond repair.

THE FOURTH CUP

Action Our present situation is dire – there is no denying that if we continue along our present path and make no changes we will destroy our home. We also know that Jewish tradition gives us a moral imperative – a call to arms – to fight for the trees and a shared future. Through partnerships with environmental groups and encouraging staff and stakeholders, synagogues and youth groups, Hillels and JCCs to take action the Jewish people are collectively taking action to mitigate our impact. Your individual action will be meaningful, but insufficient. While our personal choices matter, organizational choices have the power to reach further.

Adamah's Call to Action Encourage Jewish organizations you are involved with to consider a roadmap for your institution to become more sustainable and create a climate action plan through Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition. Bring the Jewish Youth Climate Movement to your community or start an Adamah on Campus at your college. See pages 36-38 for more ways to take action and get involved with Adamah. Change begins with a single step. You have the power to take it, and the many steps that follow.

Join the Movement Join the movement to create vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth.

adamah.org/donate

THE FOURTH CUP

CLOSING BLESSINGS Birkat HaMazon: Grace After Meals We are commanded to bless God after we eat. Rabbinic tradition proscribes various versions of a Grace After Meals dependant on what one ate. There are three traditional texts for Grace After meals: the full Birkat HaMazon is recited after a meal with bread (not included below). Al HaMichya is recited after eating a meal with grain products, wine, or fruit of the seven species, and would apply to a seder where no bread was eaten. The shortest is Borei Nefashot, recited after simpler meals. Finally, two shorter contemporary blessings, based on ancient texts, are included on the following page. Al HaMichya Add in as many color sections as appropriate for what you ate.

,‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬, ָ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ י‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ ‫ַעל ָה ֵעץ‬ ‫וְ ַעל ְּפ ִרי ָה ֵעץ‬

‫ַעל ַה ֶּג ֶפן‬ ‫וְ ַעל ְּפ ִרי ַה ֶּג ֶפן‬

‫ַעל ַה ִּמ ְחיָ ה‬ ‫וְ ַעל ַה ַּכ ְל ָּכ ָלה‬

‫טֹובה ְּור ָח ָבה‬ ָ ‫נּובת ַה ָּש ֶׂדה וְ ַעל ֶא ֶרץ ֶח ְמ ָּדה‬ ַ ‫וְ ַעל ְּת‬ ‫בֹותינּו ֶל ֱאכֹול ִמ ִּפ ְריָ ּּה וְ ִל ְש ּּׂב ַֹוע‬ ֵ ‫ית וְ ִהנְ ַח ְל ָּת ַל ֲא‬ ָ ‫ׁ ֶש ָר ִצ‬ ‫רּוש ַליִ ם‬ ָ ׁ ְ‫ ַר ֵחם יְ יָ ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ַעל יִ ְש ָׂר ֵאל ַע ֶּמ ַָך וְ ַעל י‬.‫ִמ ּּט ָּוב ּּה‬ .‫ וְ ַעל ֵה ָיכ ֶל ַָך‬,‫ וְ ַעל ִמז ְְּב ֶח ַָך‬,‫בֹוד ַָך‬ ֶ ‫ִע ֶיר ַָך וְ ַעל ִצּיּ ֹון ִמ ׁ ְש ַּכן ְּכ‬ ‫ וְ ַה ֲע ֵלנּו‬.‫רּוש ַליִ ם ִעיר ַה ּּקֹ ֶד ׁׁש ִּב ְמ ֵה ָרה ְביָ ֵמינּו‬ ָ ׁ ְ‫ְּובנֵ ה י‬ ‫ֹאכל ִמ ִּפ ְר ָּי ּּה וְ נִ ְש ַּׂבע‬ ַ ֹ‫ וְ נ‬,‫תֹוכ ּּה וְ ַש ְּׂמ ֵחנּו ְּב ִבנְ יָ נָ ּּה‬ ָ ‫ְל‬ .‫ִמ ּּט ָּוב ּּה ּונְ ָב ֶר ְכ ַָך ָע ֶל ָיה ִּב ְקדֻ ׁ ָּשה ְּוב ָט ֳה ָרה‬ :‫(בשבת) ְּור ֵצה וְ ַה ֲח ִל ֵיצנּו ְּביֹום ַה ׁ ַּש ָּבת ַהזֶה‬ ‫נֹודה ְּל ַָך ַעל ָה ַָּא ֶרץ‬ ֶ ְ‫ִּכי ַַא ָּתה יְ יָ טֹוב ֵּומ ִטיב ַל ּּכל ו‬ ‫וְ ַעל ַה ֵּפרֹות‬

‫וְ ַעל ְּפ ִרי ַה ֶּג ֶפן‬

‫וְ ַעל ַה ִּמ ְחיָ ה‬

‫ ַעל ָה ַָּא ֶרץ‬, ָ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יְ י‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ .‫וְ ַעל ַה ֵּפרֹות‬

.‫וְ ַעל ְּפ ִרי ַה ֶּג ֶפן‬

.‫וְ ַעל ַה ִּמ ְחיָ ה‬

Blessed are you Adonai, our G!d, ruler of the universe, for the nourishment | fruit of the vine | fruit and for the produce of the field; for a desirable, good, and spacious land that you willed and gave to our ancestors to eat of its fruit and to be satisfied from her goodness. Have mercy Adonai our G!d on us, on Israel your people, on Jerusalem your city, on Zion the home of your glory, on your altar, and on your Temple. Build Jerusalem the holy city swiftly in our time, bring us back there, rejoining in its rebuilding, eating from its fruit, satisfied by its goodness, and blessing you for her holiness and purity. Be pleased to refresh us on this Shabbat day. For you are good and do good for all and we thank you for the land and for the nourishment | fruit of the vine | fruit. Blessed are you Adonai for the land and for the nourishment | fruit of the vine | fruit.

Borei Nefashot

‫ ּּב ֵֹורא‬,‫עֹולם‬ ָ ‫רּוך ַַא ָּתה יי ֱאֹל ֵֹהינּו ֶמ ֶל ְְך ָה‬ ְְ ‫ָּב‬ ‫נְ ָפ ׁׁשֹות ַר ּּבֹות וְ ֶח ְסרֹונָ ן‬ ‫את ְל ַה ֲחיֹות ָּב ֶהם נֶ ֶפ ׁׁש ָּכל‬ ָ ‫ַעל ָּכל ַמה ׁ ֶּש ָּב ָר‬ .‫עֹול ִמים‬ ָ ‫רּוך ֵחי ָה‬ ְְ ‫ ָּב‬,‫ַחי‬

Blessed are you Adonai our G!d, ruler of the universe, creator of many forms of life and their needs, for all that you have created to sustain life in all that lives. Blessed be the one who gives life to the worlds.

Brich Rachamana

‫ ְּב ִר ְְיך ַר ֲח ָמנָ א ַמ ְל ָּּכא ְד ֳע ְל ָמא‬b'.rich ra.cha.ma.na mal.ka d'.al.ma ‫יּתא‬ ָּ ‫ ָמ ֵר ּיּה ְּּד ַהאי ִּּפ‬ma.rei d'.hai pi.ta – Hebrew from Bablyonian Talmud, Brachot 40b

You are the source of life for all that is and your blessings flow through me

V'achalta

‫ וְ ַָא ַכ ְל ָּּת‬v'.a.chal.ta, ‫ׂש ָב ְע ָּּת‬ ׂ ָ ְ‫ ו‬v'.sa.va.ta, ‫ ֵּוב ַר ְכ ָּּת‬u.vei.rach.ta

– Hebrew from Deuteronomy 8:10 English by Hanna Tiferet Siegel

We ate when we were hungry And now we’re satisfied We thank the Source of Blessing For all that S/he provides

Giving and Receiving We open our hands From seedtime through Harvest We’re partners with the land

Hunger is a yearning In body and soul Earth, Air, Fire, Water And spirit make us whole

We share in a vision Of wholeness and release Where every child is nourished And we all live in peace

SONGS Adamah

‫ ֲא ָד ָמה וְ ׁ ֶש ַּמיִ ם‬a.da.mah v'.sha.ma.yim ‫ חֹום ָה ֵא ׁשׁ ְצ ִליל ַה ַּמיִ ם‬chom ha.esh, tzlil ha.ma.yim ‫גּופי‬ ִ ‫ ֲאנִ י ַמ ְר ִּג ׁישׁ זֹֹאת ְּב‬a.ni mar.gish zot b'.gu.fi ‫רּוחי ְּבנִ ׁ ְש ָמ ִתי‬ ִ ‫ ְּב‬b'.ru.chi b'.nish.ma.ti

Love the earth, love the sky heat of fire, drop of water I can feel it in my body in my spirit in my soul

– Hebrew words by Shimon Lev-Tahor, adapted from a Rainbow Gathering melody Sanctuary O Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary

‫ וְ ָעׂשּׂו ִלי ִמ ְק ָּד ׁׁש‬v'.a.su li mik.dash ‫תֹוכם‬ ָ ‫ וְ ׁ ָש ַכנְ ִּתי ְּב‬v'.sha.chan.ti b'.to.cham

Pure and holy, tried and true And with thanksgiving, I'll be a living

– Hebrew words from Exodus 25:8. Direct translation: And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

sanctuary, for you.

Learn to Live Learn to live your life with all your heart And all your soul and all your mind And love all human kind as you would love yourself

We’ve got happy lives to live We’ve got open arms to give We’ve got hope down deep inside Because in love we do reside

Learn to live your life With all your heart And all your soul and mind and love all human kind – As taught to Cara Michelle Silverberg 27

SONGS Shirat Ha'asavim / Song of the Grasses

‫רֹועה‬ ֶ ְ‫רֹועה ו‬ ֶ ‫ ַּדע ְל ְְָך ׁ ֶׁש ָּּכל‬Da l'.kha she.kol ro.eh v'.ro.eh .‫יּוחד ִמ ׁ ֶׁשּלֹו‬ ָ ‫ יֵ ׁׁש לֹו נִ ּגּון ְמ‬yeish lo ni.gun m'.yu.chad mi.she.lo.

Know that each and every shepherd has his own tune

‫ ַּדע ְל ְְָך ׁ ֶׁש ָּּכל ֵע ֶׂשב וְ ֵע ֶׂשב‬Da l'.kha she.kol ei.sev v'.ei.sev .‫יּוח ֶדת ִמ ׁ ֶׁשּלֹו‬ ֶ ‫ יֵ ׁׁש לֹו ׁ ִׁש ָירה ְמ‬yeish lo shi.rah m'.yu.che.det mi.she.lo.

Know that each and every grass has its own song

‫ ִּומ ׁ ִׁש ַירת ָה ֲע ָׂש ִבים‬U.mi.shi.rat ha.a.sa.vim .‫רֹועה‬ ֶ ‫ נַ ֲע ֶׂשה נִ ּגּון ׁ ֶׁשל‬na.a.seh ni.gun shel ro.eh.

And from the song of the grasses the tune of the shepherd is made

‫ ַּּכ ָּמה יָ ֶפה וְ נָ ֶאה‬,‫ ַּּכ ָּמה יָ ֶפה‬Ka.ma ya.feh, ka.ma ya.feh v'.na.eh .‫ ְּּכ ׁ ֶׁש ׁׁש ְֹומ ִעים ַה ִּׁש ָירה ׁ ֶׁש ָּל ֶהם‬k'.she.shom.im ha.shi.rah she.la.hem.

How beautiful, how beautiful and pleasant to hear their song

‫ טֹוב ְמאֹֹד ְל ִה ְת ַּפ ֵּלל ֵּּבינֵ ֶיהם‬Tov me.od l'.hit.pa.leil bei.nei.hem .'‫ ְּוב ִׂש ְמ ָחה ַל ֲעבֹֹד ֶאת ה‬u.v'.sim.chah la.a.vod et Ha.shem.

It's very good to pray among them and in joy to serve Hashem

‫ ִּומ ׁ ִׁש ַירת ָה ֲע ָׂש ִבים‬U.mi.shi.rat ha.a.sa.vim .‫ּתֹוקק‬ ֵ ‫ ִמ ְת ַמ ֵּלא ַה ֵּלב ִּומ ׁ ְש‬mit.ma.lei ha.leiv u.mi.shto.keik.

And from the song of the grasses the heart is filled and yearns

‫ ְּוכ ׁ ֶש ַה ֵּלב ִמן ַה ִּׁש ָירה ִמ ְת ַמ ֵּלא‬U.kh'.she.ha.leiv, min ha.shir.ah mit.ma.lei And when the the heart is filled by the song and yearns for the Land of Israel, .‫ּתֹוקק ֶאל ֶא ֶרץ יִ ְׂש ָר ֵאל‬ ֵ ‫ ִּומ ׁ ְׁש‬u.mish.to.keik el e.retz yis.ra.el. ‫הֹול ְְך‬ ֵ ְ‫ אֹור ּגָ דֹול ֲאזַי נִ ְמ ׁ ָׁש ְְך ו‬Or ga.dol a.zai nim.shakh v'.ho.leikh .‫דּוׁש ָתּה ׁ ֶׁשל ָה ַָּא ֶרץ ָע ָליו‬ ָ ׁ ‫ ִמ ְּק‬mi.k'.du.sha.tah shel ha.aretz a.lav.

a great light is drawn forth and goes from the land's holiness unto it.

‫ ִּומ ׁ ִׁש ַירת ָה ֲע ָׂש ִבים‬U.mi.shi.rat ha.a.sav.im .‫ נַ ֲע ֶׂשה נִ ּגּון ׁ ֶׁשל ַה ֵּלב‬na.a.seh ni.gun shel ha.leiv.

And from the song of the grasses the tune of the heart is made.

– Naomi Shemer, based on a text by Rav Nachman of Bratzlav

Hashkediya Porachat / The Almonds are Blooming

,‫ּפֹור ַחת‬ ַ ‫ ַה ׁ ְּש ֵק ִד ָּיה‬Ha.sh'.kei.di.ya po.ra.chat .‫זֹור ַחת‬ ַ ‫ וְ ׁ ֶש ֶמ ׁׁש ָּפז‬v'.she.mesh paz zo.ra.chat ‫ֹאׁש ָּכל ַּגג‬ ׁ ֹ‫ ִצ ֳּפ ִרים ֵמר‬tzi.po.rim mei.rosh kol gag :‫ ְמ ַב ְּשׂרֹות ֶאת ּּבֹוא ֶה ָחג‬m'.va.s'.rot et bo heh.chag )x2(

‫ ט”ּו ִּב ׁ ְש ָבט ִה ִּג ַיע‬Tu bi.shvat hi.gi.ah !‫ ַחג ָה ִא ָילנֹות‬chag ha.i.la.not

The almond tree is blooming, and the golden sun is shining. Birds atop every roof bless the arrivage of the holiday. Tu B'Shvat has arrived, the holiday of the trees!

When I Rise And when I rise, let me rise Like a bird, joyfully. And when I fall, let me fall, Like a leaf, gracefully, without regret. And when I stand, let me stand, Like a tree, strong and tall. And when I lie, let me lie, Like a lake, peacefully, calm and still. And when I work, let me work, Like a bee, wholeheartedly. And when I play, let me play, Like a breeze, fresh and cool, light and clear. – Based on a poem by Wendell Berry

Meditation and Spiritual Grounding: But if you turn away, chop the world into parts and choose parts to worship – gods of race or of nation, gods of wealth and of power, gods of greed and addiction; If you Do and you Make, and Produce without pausing; If you Do without Being – Then the rain will not fall, or will turn to sharp acid; The rivers won't run, or flood homes and cities; The heavens themselves will take arms against you: the ozone will fail you, the oil that you burn will scorch your whole planet and from the good earth that the Breath of Life gives you, you will vanish; yes, perish.

So on the edge of your Self take care to weave fringes, threads of connection. So you end not with sharpness, A fence or a wall, But with sacred mixing of cloth and of air; A fringe that is fuzzy, part yours and part God's: They bind us together, Make One from our one-ness. Good fringes/ good neighbors. Deep mirrors/ true seeing. Time loving/ right action. The Infinite/ One. – Rabbi Arthur Waskow, October 2, 2003

More songs are available at adamah.org/tubshvat. 29

THE STATE OF THE FORESTS Jewish tradition teaches that the forest was our first home. Forests cover 31% of total land area and are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. We depend on forests for healing and sustenance. More than 1.6 billion people around the world depend on forests for their livelihood. More than a quarter of modern medicines, worth an estimated $108 billion a year, originate from tropical forest plants. We currently protect 10% of the global surface, which may lead to a loss of 50% of species. If we protect half the global surface, 85% or more species will survive. What would the Garden of Eden have been like without trees? Earth has lost more than half of its trees since humans first learned how to wield the axe. It is due to lose another half of the remaining trees by the end of this century. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 17.4% of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation of tropical rainforests could account for the loss of as many as 100 species a day. “If you believe that you have the ability to destroy, then believe that you have the ability to fix.” – Rabbi Nachman of Breslov By the end of the 19th century and the Industrial Revolution, France had cleared its forests such that they covered well below 10% of France's land area. Following a series of fatal mudslides, a public reforestation campaign began. Today, forest cover is nearing 30% and forests grow by 30,000 hectares a year. The Billion Tree Campaign launched by UNEP and the World Agroforestry Centre in 2006 planted more than 2 billion trees in 18 months. As of 2018, over 15 billion trees have been planted, and the campaign has been renamed The Trillion Tree Campaign. – Sourced from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Half Earth Project

SCIENCE AND STATISTICS The last ten years were the ten warmest on record. “For the eight hundred thousand years before the Industrial Revolution, concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere remained stable. Since the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by about 40 percent.” – Jonathan Safran Foer, We Are the Weather, p. 85 “Trees are ‘carbon sinks,’ which means they absorb CO2. Imagine a bathtub filling up with water. If the drain slows, the tub will fill up more quickly. This is similar to the earth’s photosynthetic capacity: already, humans are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at a rate that exceeds Earth’s ability to regulate them, but vegetation currently stores a substantial amount of CO2 – about one-quarter of anthropogenic emissions at the current rate. The more forests we destroy, the closer we come to plugging the drain. Allowing tropical land currently used for livestock to revert to forest could mitigate more than half of all anthropogenic GHGs.” – Foer, p. 91 Regenerative organic agriculture produces 40% less GHG emissions than conventional agricultural practices. USDA and the Rodale Institute “Tropical deforestation is responsible for about 10 percent of global warming emissions—and no product contributes more to tropical deforestation than beef. Each year, millions of hectares of forest are cleared for beef pasture, releasing carbon into the atmosphere… The deforestation impact of beef is greatest in South America.” https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/aaa

“Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles of forest, according to the World Bank—an area larger than South Africa. Since humans started cutting down forests, 46 percent of trees have been felled, according to a 2015 study in the journal Nature.” https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14967 Agriculture accounts for >20% of global GHG emissions, accounting for a greater percentage than the sum of all of the cars and trucks on the roads, planes in the skies, and boats on the waters. US EPA “Cattle ranchers in the Brazilian Amazon—the storied rainforest that produces oxygen for the world and modulates climate—are aggressively expanding their herds and willing to clear-cut the forest and burn what’s left to make way for pastures. As a result, they’ve become the single biggest driver of the Amazon’s deforestation, causing about 80 percent of it, according to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The ecological devastation is done in the service of the surging demand for beef." https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/ global-warming/deforestation/

ACTIVITIES Pickled Vegetables This method uses lacto-fermentation, an easy, fun, and healthy method of food preservation. Participants will take home a jar of their own pickled vegetables, which should begin fermenting in about 3 days. Supplies and Ingredients

Process

• Knife and cutting board • Large bowl • Pint-sized jar per person • Salt • Water • Vegetables

If using just cabbage:

(examples include cabbage, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, and/or green beans) • Pickling spices (purchased mix or make your own from dill, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, and black pepper)

• Chop the cabbage as evenly as possible • In a large bowl, massage the cabbage with at least 1 Tbsp of salt until it is very malleable and has started to release juices • Pack tightly into a jar, such that the juices are covering the cabbage For other vegetables:

• Chop the vegetables • Pack them tightly into a jar • Sprinkle herbs and spices as you go • Add 1-1½ Tbsp of salt on top • Pour in water slowly to cover the vegetables • Cover tightly and shake to mix the salt and spices Storage and tasting:

• Leave the jar on a counter for 3-7 days Each day, unscrew the lid partway to "burp" the jars and release the air pressure, then close it

• After a few days taste to test how much the vegetables have pickled

• Once you like the flavor, transfer the jar to the fridge to slow the fermentation process

Microgreen Planting Microgreens are mini versions of regular vegetables. The shoots are harvested at a young age, before they grow into fully mature plants. They have a wonderful flavor, are richer in nutrition than their larger counterparts, and are easy to grow! Supplies and Ingredients

Process

• Small potting pots (4") • Quart-sized Ziploc bags

• Fill a pot about ¾ full with soil.

that fit over the pots • Seeds (we suggest broccoli, radish, or peas) • Spoons for scooping seeds • Potting soil • Optional: popsicle sticks and markers for labeling

• Sprinkle in a spoonful of seeds in each pot. Since each crop grows at a different rate, use only one seed type per pot. Ideally leave at least a seed's width between each seed.

• Sprinkle one spoonful of soil on top of the seeds • Water the soil enough so it is a little moist, but not soaked. Cover each pot with the Ziploc bag to form a greenhouse.

• Every few days, feel the soil to check if it is moist. If it is dry, add a little water.

• After 1-3 weeks your greens should reach 3-5 inches. Harvest them by cutting at the base.

ADDITIONAL JEWISH TEXTS Sifre on Devarim, #60

‫ מצות עשה שחייו של אדם‬It is a positive commandment that a person live a life ‫ אינו אלא מן האילן‬derived completely from the tree. Talmud Bavli, Ta'anit 7a

‫אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק למה נמשלו דברי‬ ‫ יח) עץ חיים‬,‫תורה כעץ שנאמר (משלי ג‬ ‫היא למחזיקים בה? לומר לך מה עץ קטן‬ ‫מדליק את הגדול אף תלמידי חכמים‬ ‫קטנים מחדדים את הגדולים והיינו דאמר‬ ‫ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי‬ .‫יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן‬

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: Why was the Torah compared to a tree, as it says "for it is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it" (Proverbs 3:18)? To teach you that just as a small tree may set a larger tree on fire, so too is it with scholars, where the small sharpen the large. After all, Rabbi Chanina said "I have learnt much from my teachers, and more from my friends, but from my students more than anyone."

Talmud Bavli, Ta'anit 23a

‫יומא חד הוה אזל באורחא חזייה לההוא‬ ‫גברא דהוה נטע חרובא אמר ליה האי‬ ‫עד כמה שנין טעין אמר ליה עד שבעין‬ ‫שנין אמר ליה פשיטא לך דחיית שבעין‬ ‫שנין אמר ליה האי [גברא] עלמא בחרובא‬ ‫אשכחתיה כי היכי דשתלי לי אבהתי‬ .‫שתלי נמי לבראי‬

One day he [Honi the Circle Drawer] was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree; he asked him, How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit? The man replied: Seventy years. He then further asked him: Are you certain that you will live another seventy years? The man replied: I found [already grown] carob trees in the world; as my ancestors planted these for me so I too plant these for my children.

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Neighbors 11:1

‫ אֹו ָק ַבע ֵּּבית‬.‫תֹוך ׁ ֶׁשּלֹו‬ ְְ ‫ִמי ׁ ֶׁש ָע ָׂשה ּגֹ ֶֹרן ְּּב‬ ‫אכה ׁ ֶׁשּיֵ ׁׁש ָּּבּה ַָּא ָבק וְ ָע ָפר‬ ָ ‫ אֹו ְמ ָל‬.‫ַה ִּּכ ֵּסא‬ ‫ ָצ ִר ְְיך ְל ַה ְר ִחיק‬.‫ּיֹוצא ָּּב ֶהן ַּומּגִ ָיע ָתן ַל ֲח ֵברֹו‬ ֵ ‫וְ ַכ‬ ‫יח ֵּּבית ַה ִּּכ ֵּסא אֹו‬ ַ ‫ְּּכ ֵדי ׁ ֶׁשֹּלֹא יַ ּגִ ַיע ֶה ָע ָפר אֹו ֵר‬ .‫ָה ַָּא ָבק ְּּכ ֵדי ׁ ֶׁשֹּלֹא יַ ּזִ יקֹו‬

One who makes a threshing floor in the midst of their domain, or establishes a privy or a place which raises dust and particles of earth (and they go out from them and harms his neighbor), must put the work at a distance in order that they do not cause harm by dust or by the smell to their neighbor.

‫רּוח הּוא ׁ ֶׁש ְּמ ַסּיֵ ַע אֹותֹו ְּּב ֵעת‬ ַ ‫ֲא ִפּלּו ָהיְ ָתה ָה‬ ‫ּומֹול ָיכה ֶאת ֶה ָע ָפר אֹו‬ ִ ‫אכּתֹו‬ ְ ‫עֹוׂשה ְמ ַל‬ ֶ ‫ׁ ֶׁש‬ ‫ּיֹוצא ָּּב ֶהן ַּומּגִ ָיע ָתן‬ ֵ ‫נְ עֹ ֶֹרת ַה ִּפ ׁ ְׁש ָּתן וְ ַהּמֹוץ וְ ַכ‬ ‫ַל ֲח ֵברֹו ֲה ֵרי זֶה ַחּיָ ב ְל ַה ְר ִחיק ְּּכ ֵדי ׁ ֶׁשֹּלֹא יַ ּגִ יעּו‬ ‫רּוח ְמצּויָ ה ׁ ֶׁש ָּּכל‬ ַ ‫ וַ ֲא ִפּלּו ַעל יְ ֵדי ָה‬.‫וְ ֹלֹא יַ ּזִ יקּו‬ :‫ֵאּלּו ְּּכ ִמי ׁ ֶׁש ִהּזִ יקּו ְּּב ִח ָּציו ֵהן‬

Even if it is a strong wind that carries the particles of earth to their neighbor in the time that they are doing work, or causing the waste to go out from these and harms their neighbor, they are obligated to create enough distance in order to eliminate contact and harm. And even if it is an ordinary wind in all these instances, it is still similar to doing damage with arrows.

Laws of Shmita (the Sabbatical Year) Exodus 23:10-16

‫וְ ׁ ֵׁש ׁׁש ׁ ָׁשנִ ים ִּתז ְַרע ֶאת ַַא ְר ֶצ ְְָך וְ ַָּא ַס ְפ ָּת ֶאת‬ ‫בּוַא ָתּה׃ וְ ַה ׁ ְּׁש ִב ִיעת ִּת ׁ ְׁש ְמ ֶטּנָ ה ּונְ ַט ׁ ְׁש ָּתּה‬ ָּ ‫ְּת‬ ‫ֹאכל ַחּיַ ת‬ ַ ֹ‫וְ ַָּא ְכלּו ֶא ְביֹֹנֵ י ַע ֶּמ ְְָך וְ יִ ְת ָרם ּת‬ ‫ֵית ְְָך׃‬ ֶ ‫ַה ָּׂש ֶדה ֵּּכן ַּת ֲע ֶׂשה ְל ַכ ְר ְמ ְְָך ְלז‬

And six years you shall plant your land and harvest its bounty. And in the seventh let it go and lie fallow. And your needy may eat of it, and what is left the beasts of the field will eat. Thus you are to do for your vineyards and olive groves.

‫ׁ ֵׁש ׁ ֶׁשת יָ ִמים ַּת ֲע ֶׂשה ַמ ֲע ֶׂש ְְָיך ַּובּיֹום ַה ׁ ְּׁש ִב ִיעי‬ ‫נּוח ׁׁש ְֹור ְְָך וַ ֲחמֹ ֶֹר ְְָך וְ יִ ּנָ ֵפ ׁׁש ֶּּבן‬ ַ ָ‫ִּת ׁ ְׁש ּּבֹֹת ְל ַמ ַען י‬ ‫ֲא ָמ ְת ְְָך וְ ַהּגֵ ר׃ ְּובכֹֹל ֲא ׁ ֶׁשר ַָּא ַמ ְר ִּתי ֲא ֵל ֶיכם‬ ‫ִּת ׁ ָּׁש ֵמרּו וְ ׁ ֵׁשם ֱאֹל ִֹהים ֲא ֵח ִרים ֹלֹא ַתז ְִּּכירּו ֹלֹא‬ ‫יִ ׁ ָּׁש ַמע ַעל ִּפ ְְָיך׃‬

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall cease, so that your ox and donkey may rest and the bondman and stranger may catch their breath. And in all that I have said to you guard yourself; do not mention the names of other gods - they shall not be heard on your lips.

Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Shmita 1:1

‫בֹודת ָה ַָּא ֶרץ‬ ַ ‫ִמ ְצוַ ת ֲע ֵׂשה ִל ׁ ְׁש ּּבֹֹת ֵמ ֲע‬ ‫בֹודת ָה ִא ָילן ְּּב ׁ ָׁשנָ ה ׁ ְׁש ִב ִיעית ׁ ֶׁשּנֶ ֱא ַמר‬ ַ ‫וַ ֲע‬ "'‫(ויקרא כה ב) "וְ ׁ ָׁש ְב ָתה ָה ַָּא ֶרץ ׁ ַׁש ָּּבת ַלה‬ ‫"ּב ָח ִר ׁיׁש ַּוב ָּק ִציר‬ ֶּ )‫וְ נֶ ֱא ַמר (שמות לד כא‬ ."‫ִּת ׁ ְׁש ּּבֹֹת‬ ‫בֹודת ָה ַָּא ֶרץ אֹו‬ ַ ‫אכה ֵמ ֲע‬ ָ ‫עֹוׂשה ְמ ָל‬ ֶ ‫וְ ָכל ָה‬ ‫ָה ִא ָילנֹות ְּּב ׁ ָׁשנָ ה זֹו ִּּב ֵּטל ִמ ְצוַ ת ֲע ֵׂשה וְ ָע ַבר‬ )‫ַעל ֹלֹא ַּת ֲע ֶׂשה ׁ ֶׁשּנֶ ֱא ַמר (ויקרא כה ד‬ ."‫"ׂש ְד ְְָך ֹלֹא ִתז ְָרע וְ ַכ ְר ְמ ְְָך ֹלֹא ִת ְזמֹֹר‬ ָ

It is a positive commandment to cease working the land and caring for trees in the seventh year, as it says (Leviticus 25:2), "and the land shall rest a Sabbath for the Lord," and it says (Exodus 34:21), "in plowing and in harvesting you shall rest." Anyone who performs one of the forbidden labors from the working of the land or caring for trees in this year has abrogated a positive commandment and transgressed a negative commandment, as it says, (Leviticus 25:4)"you shall not plant your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard."

Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, 3:39:4

‫כל המצוות אשר ספרנום בהלכות שמיטה‬ ‫ לחמלה על בני אדם והרחבה‬- ‫ויובל מהם‬ ‫ כמו שאמר "וְ ַָּא ְכלּו‬- ‫לבני אדם כולם‬ "'‫ֹאכל ַחּיַ ת ַה ָּׂש ֶדה וגו‬ ַ ֹ‫ֶא ְביֹֹנֵ י ַע ֶּמ ְְָך וְ יִ ְת ָרם ּת‬ ‫ושתוסיף הארץ תבואתה ותתחזק בעמדה‬ .‫שמוטה‬

From all the commandments which we listed in "Laws of Shmita (sabbatical) and Yovel (jubilee)," some are for mercy for humanity, and their well-being, but for all of them it is stated, "And your needy may eat of it, and what is left the beasts of the field will eat" (Exodus 23:11); and the land will augment its produce and strengthen from standing fallow.

‫ רצוני‬- ‫ חנינה בעבדים ועניים‬- ‫ ומהם‬Some [commandments] are for graciousness to servants and ‫ לומר 'השמטת כספים והשמטת‬the poor – that is to say releasing debts and releasing slaves .'‫[ עבדים‬in the shmita year]. ‫מהם עיון בתיקון הפרנסה והכלכלה על‬ ‫ היות הארץ כולה שמורה‬- ‫ההתמדה והוא‬ ‫לבעלים אי אפשר בה מכירה לצמיתות‬ ".‫"והארץ לא תמכר לצמיתות‬

Some [commandments] concern the establishment of permanent support and sustenance by providing that the whole land should be preserved for its owners, and that it could not be irredeemably sold." And the land shall not be sold forever" (Leviticus 25:23). 35

ABOUT ADAMAH We believe in the deep connection between people & planet, adam & adamah. Every day, we help people feel that connection, spark Jewish inspiration, and help build a more sustainable future for all. And because we are the link between our ancestors and our descendants, our generation is called to respond to the existential crises of our time with the full power of the Jewish spirit. Our mission is to cultivate vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth, catalyzing culture change and systemic change through immersive experiences, Jewish environmental education, leadership development, and climate action. Adamah is the largest Jewish environmental organization in North America, leading a burgeoning movement across Jewish life. Adamah impacts nearly 50,000 participants at our two immersive campuses—Pearlstone in Baltimore and Isabella Freedman in Connecticut—and through national programs amplified in our community impact hubs: New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco, and Baltimore.

OUR VALUES

Community and Belonging We build authentic relationships and embrace diversity.

Joy, Love, & Hope We create joyous experiences filled with love that give people hope for the future.

Nature Connection We tap into the healing inspiration and wisdom of the natural world.

Jewish Wisdom We draw guidance & inspiration from Jewish text, prayer, ritual, calendar, stories, and song.

Peoplehood & Planethood We build bridges for the Jewish people—from Israel and the Diaspora—to build a more sustainable future together.

Youth Empowerment We center and support rising generations as they find their voice and drive change.

Collective Action We build on the work of our elders and allies to go farther together.

JEWISH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Our programming inspires diverse Jewish participants across ages, locations, and interests, breathing life into our Jewish ancestral wisdom and agricultural heritage, and inspiring love and care for the Earth as a sacred Jewish value. Holiday & Community Retreats Adamah hosts hundreds of people for each major Jewish holiday at our two retreat centers - as well as other community retreats throughout the year such as Family Camp or yoga retreats. All retreats feature farm-to-table meals, activities on our farms and trails, and many offer programs for kids and families. Everyone is welcome to all of our retreats, regardless of religious practice and background. Teva Teva works to transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability. Teva hosts day schools at both Isabella Freedman and Pearlstone, and works with other Jewish institutions that cover the spectrum of religious affiliation.

Adamah Farm Fellowship Our flagship farming fellowship, based at Isabella Freedman, is a three-month leadership training program for Jewish adults ages 20-35 that integrates organic agriculture, farm-to-table living, Jewish learning, community building, and spiritual practice. Adamah alumni are fanning out across the American Jewish landscape as educators, rabbis, activists, entrepreneurs – and farmers. Adventure Camp at Pearlstone During Day and Overnight Camps at Pearlstone, children learn from talented farmers, wilderness experts and Jewish experiential educators. Campers spend the day exploring the forest with shelter building and fire making; learning and living the interconnections of Jewish tradition and the natural world; connecting to the land; and caring for farm animals—all while building friendships and confidence.

IMMERSIVE RETREATS With so much heaviness in the world and in Jewish life these days, it is imperative that Jewish leaders and organizations embody a deep sense of joy, love, belonging and hope. Immersive retreats provide the remedy we need, offering the opportunity to tap into joyful Jewish life in ways that renew body and spirit, heart, and soul. Adamah operates two Jewish retreat centers: Pearlstone, in Reisterstown, Maryland, Isabella Freedman in Falls Village, Connecticut. Pearlstone is Adamah’s headquarters and the largest Jewish retreat center and Jewish outdoor environmental education center in North America. Founded in 2001, Pearlstone is known for its beautiful retreat facilities and 180-acre campus, nourishing kosher farm-to-table cuisine, and organic farm.

The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center was originally incorporated in 1893, and has been on its current 440acre site in the foothills of the Berkshires since 1956 serving Jewish groups, camps, and rentals. Through the Adamah Farm Fellowship and the Teva program Isabella Freedman is the birthplace of the Jewish environmental movement in North America. 37

CLIMATE ACTION Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition In September 2022, Adamah launched the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, in partnership with 20 national and international umbrella organizations of Jewish life. Hundreds of Jewish community organizations have joined the Coalition, committing to climate action. Organizations include synagogues, day schools, Jewish Community Centers, summer camps, Federations, and Hillels. Coalition members work closely with the Adamah Climate Action team to develop Climate Action Plans detailing the steps they will take to both reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and mobilize their networks to undertake climate action alongside them.

Climate Action Fund Adamah’s Climate Action Fund, created in 2023, helps Coalition members finance climate action projects that reduce institutional emissions. The Climate Action Fund has awarded over $1,000,000 in loans and matching grants to dozens of organizations. Diverse projects include solar installations, lighting retrofits, insulation and window upgrades, and food waste reduction programs. Collectively, the organizations will save more than $700,000 annually in utility costs and reduce at least 1,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) JYCM engages and activates Jewish teens as leaders working to build a more sustainable and equitable world. Adamah’s Youth Empowerment team provides teen leaders with training, resources, and mentorship to lead local kvutzot (chapters). Kvutzot are established in partnership with host organizations such as schools, synagogues, JCCs, and camps. JYCM has mobilized kvutzot across the country – reaching thousands of teens through chapter membership and teen-led community programming.

Adamah on Campus Adamah on Campus is empowering a joyful, resilient generation of campus leaders through Jewish environmental education, climate action, and community building. Working with dozens of campuses and engaging thousands of college students across North America, Adamah on Campus, launched in 2023, supports campus chapters, a student leaders fellowship, regional programming, immersive experiences, and opportunities for campus professionals. Adamah on Campus provides the guidance, resources, and networks for students to become powerful changemakers while on campus and beyond.

PURCHASING GUIDE How much food to buy for a seder is a difficult question to answer. It depends on the number of people and type of meal you are hosting. If you are primarily serving fruits and nuts, the amounts below are a good guide. If you are serving a full meal you will likely need less. We assume you may not buy some of each item below, so a good rule of thumb is to estimate about 1/2 lb fresh fruit, 1/4 lb dried fruit and 1/8 lb nuts per person. Since the foods are divided into three types (fully edible, inside only, or outside only) make sure you have a selection of all three. 20 People

40 People

80 People

Edible Part

Walnuts

1 lb

2 lb

4 lb

inside

Pecans

1 lb

3 lb

6 lb

inside

Almonds

1 lb

3 lb

6 lb

inside

Nuts

Fruit from the Seven Species Pomegranate

inside

Dates

2 lb

3 lb

6 lb

outside

Olives

2 cans

3 cans

5 cans

outside

Figs

2 lb

3 lb

5 lb

all

Grapes

3 lb

5 lb

8 lb

all

Tangerines

10 fruits

1 box

2 boxes

inside

Apricots

2 lb

4 lb

8 lb

outside

Pears

5 lb

8 lb

15 lb

outside

Blueberries

2 lb

4 lb

8 lb

all

Strawberries

3 lb

5 lb

10 lb

all

Raspberries

1 lb

2 lb

4 lb

all

Other Fruit

Wine (assumes a total of 2 full-sized glasses per person, increase as needed) Red wine

4 bottles

8 bottles

15 bottles

White Wine

4 bottles

8 bottles

15 bottles

If you are serving a full meal on top of the symbolic foods, we encourage you to integrate many of these into your meal. Tu B'Shvat is a great opportunity to showcase a vegan meal with salads, legumes, and grains featuring many of the seven species, nuts, or other fruit. While it is difficult to find fresh seasonal produce in colder climates, you can use dried or preserved ingredients. 39

PEOP

Adamah PEOPLE . PLANET . PURPOSE

Adamah Tu B'Shvat Haggadah - 2026