By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO—Some trees at Mission Trails Regional Park received hugs and a special birthday song on Wednesday, February 4, from elementary school-aged Hebrew School pupils studying with Chabad of East County. The occasion was Tu B’Shevat, also known as the birthday of the trees.
Normally, students at the Chabad school, taught by Chaya Andrusier and her husband, Rabbi Rafi Andrusier, meet at the Chabad shul in a strip shopping center in suburban La Mesa. But for Tu B’Shevat, the children’s parents or grandparents drove them to this 7,500-acre natural park amid the hills straddling a section of the San Diego River, where the games they played were coupled with lessons about the holiday’s meaning and history.
At one point, Rebbetzin Andrusier had the children, including my grandson Sky, pass around a package wrapped in newspaper, and whenever she said “freeze,” the child who had the package could strip off a layer of newspaper. On the next layer, a sticky note gave instructions for what the child should do to celebrate the holiday.
The children also decorated two cakes with strips of candy representing rivers, trees, fruit and other elements of nature.
The celebration was held in a small amphitheater where sculptures of a coyote, mountain lion and wood rat seemed to look over the proceedings, as if they too wanted to learn about Tu B’Shevat.
The rebbetzin told the students a story from the Talmud of an old man who was interrupted as he was planting a fig tree. “Why,” asked a young man, “are you planting that you won’t live to see bear fruit?” The old man patiently explained to his questioner that he was planting it for future generations—just as past generations had planted trees for him.
A corollary story concerned a man who planted a seedling and then fell asleep for 70 years – you might say Rip Van Winkle just took a nap compared to him – and when the man awakened, he saw a magnificent tree. “Who planted that?” he asked a young man nearby. “My great-grandfather,” came the proud reply.
Chaya Andrusier also passed around different kinds of fruit for the pupils to eat, including dates. Some pupils really liked them, and others didn’t, but most were willing to at least taste them.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Your comments may be posted in the space provided below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
What an enjoyable story!! Is that the nice Rabbi I spoke to on the phone? BTW, I LOVE hugging trees. 🙂