In honor of Tu Bi'Shevat, we are happy to offer this piece from our friends at Isabella Freedman. On behalf of the Ritualwell team, we wish you a joyous and fruitful New Year of the Trees!
The Houthis preach a particular, religiously informed hatred of Jews, a specific kind of antisemitism that has its foundation in an extremist strand of modern Islamic teaching.
On Rosh Hashanah L’ilanot, the New Year of the Trees, the trees and the Tree of Life are judged for another year of fertility or not—just like human beings are judged on Rosh Hashanah.
Zionism is a modern movement that has employed age-old beliefs to support the urgent need for a refuge from antisemitism. Zionists today are obligated to move Israel to embody Jewish values of justice and peace.