The American and the Jewish calendars for 2022/5782 bring two holidays together Monday: Martin Luther King Day and Tu Bishvat — the New Year of the Trees. Jews across South Jersey are marking the King holiday with Mitzvah Day on Sunday, and Nafshenu is joining in with a sandwich-making project to help needy families through Camden-based Cathedral Kitchen. We’re also preview Tu Bishvat with a fruit-and-grape juice/wine ceremony.

Trees in ancient Israel weren’t just or shade. They were “trees of life” that bore olives, figs, dates, and pomegranates to feed the people. What a fitting coincidence, then, is the coming double holiday, giving us a chance to honor King’s memory by bringing the blessings of food to our needy neighbors.

Please join us in person or on Zoom at noon this Sunday for Tu Bishvat music and blessings. Then help staff the socially distanced sandwich factory — or take a look at all the ways you can get involved in Mitzvah Day remotely. Keep scrolling to see more! 

Student Rabbi David Goodman