Tu B’Shevat, or Happy Birthday, Paris Hilton?
Amy Levin: What’s the one holiday that Lurianic Kabbalists and quasi-pagan eco-Jews alike love celebrating? It’s Tu B’Shevat, aka, “The New Year for Trees.” The name Tu B’Shevat is derived from the Hebrew date of the holiday, the 15th of Shevat – “tu” stands for the Hebrew letter “tet” and “vav” whose numerical values, 9 and 6, add up to 15. “B” means “of” in Hebrew, and “Shevat” is the Hebrew month on which the holiday falls. Oh, and apparently it’s the Paris Hilton of Jewish Holidays.
