WELCOME
With the start of 2022, my mind has been focused on what we consider new. This year brings with it a lot of “new.” First and foremost for me is my new job! I am thrilled to serve as CEO of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on the Upper West Side, and I look forward to meeting so many new people. The role means that I have a new office, a new location, and a new group of new colleagues and community members. For this reason, I find myself connecting deeply to the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the “birthday of the trees,” which celebrates new blooms and new fruits. I am sure that I am not alone in reveling in the possibility of renewal. As we hopefully emerge from two years of a global pandemic, it is crucial to sow new seeds, new ideas, and new places to grow and learn. As we imagine the future, what flowers do we want to make bloom, both literally and figuratively? What can we plant for ourselves, and what can we ensure will blossom for future generations? The Talmud tells the story of Honi the Wise One and the man planting the carob tree: One day, [Honi the Wise One] was walking along the road when he saw a certain man planting a carob tree. Honi said to him: This tree, after how many years will it bear fruit? The man said to him: It will not produce fruit until seventy years have passed. Honi said to him: Is it obvious to you that you will live seventy years, that you expect to benefit from this tree? He said to him: That man himself found a world full of carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, I too am planting for my descendants. (Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anit 23a, Sefaria translation)
This story teaches us that our present actions have the opportunity to create the future we wish for. As we come to Tu B’Shevat, we must plant and sow seeds not just in the 4
