Tu b'Shevat paper letters

Creative letter paper cutting for a Tu b'Shevat decoration.

Burlap napkin rings for Tu b'Shevat table

Although there are no specific dishes that have traditionally been prepared for Tu B’Shevat, the custom of serving dishes that contain fruits and nuts has emerged. There is also the custom of consuming the Shevah Minim or "Seven Species," the five fruits and two grains found in the land of Israel. According to Gil Marks in the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the seven species are either eaten in the order in which they’re mentioned in Deuteronomy, namely wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates or in order of their importance in ancient Israel, wheat, barley, olives or olive oil, dates, grapes or wine, figs and pomegranates. Some people also eat fruits, such as apples, quinces, walnuts, pistachios and carob, which are mentioned in the Torah or have come to be associated with Israel. With the various ingredients that one can choose to include on their table for Tu B’Shevat, there is room for much creativity and the possibilities are endless. Decor your Seder table.
Do you think pumpkins are quite an old cliche in decor? Be different this year,
and if you've been kind of obsessed with empty toilet paper rolls lately, there’s so many cool DIY projects you can do with both of them 
As these burlap napkin rings I've made. These are very inexpensive to make and fairly easy and they cost next to nothing to make!
Burlap napkin rings will add a touch of rustic charm to your table top. Burlap rings are wrapped with  cotton lace and accented with a miniature button in a creamy, wood color. Just slip them on your napkins for a bit of rustic Tu b'Shevat elegance.

 Burlap napkin rings table decorations

 

Tu BiShevat Seder: Volume 1

Corks tree placeholder

You may use wine during an holiday, and if you love drinking wine, then you have probably asked yourself many times about what you should do with the wine cork. You can actually use wine cork in a very creative way to make ornaments for Tu b'Shevat tree ...

Corks tree placeholder

Wool tree decoration for Tu b'Shevat

In 2018, the "birthday of the trees" begins at sundown on Tuesday, Jan. 30
Tu B’Shevat or the “birthday” of all fruit trees, is a minor festival. The name is Hebrew for the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat.
In ancient times, Tu B’Shevat was merely a date on the calendar that helped Jewish farmers establish exactly when they should bring their fourth-year produce of fruit from recently planted trees to the Temple as first-fruit offerings.
In the 16th century, the Kabbalists of Tzfat in the Land of Israel created a new ritual to celebrate Tu B’Shevat called the Feast of Fruits. Modeled on the Passover seder, participants would read selections from the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinic literature, and would eat fruits and nuts traditionally associated with the land of Israel. The Kabbalists also gave a prominent place to almonds in the Tu B’Shevat seder , since the almond trees were believed to be the first of all trees in Israel to blossom. Carob, also known as bokser or St. John’s bread, became another popular fruit to eat on Tu B’Shevat, since it could survive the long trip from Israel to Jewish communities in Europe. Participants in the kabbalistic seder would also drink four cups of wine: white wine (to symbolize winter), white with some red (a harbinger of the coming of spring); red with some white (early spring) and finally all red (spring and summer).
Complete with biblical and rabbinic readings, these kabbalists produced a Tu B’Shevat Haggadah in 1753 called “Pri Etz Hadar” or “Fruit of the Goodly Tree.”

Wool tree

The Month of Shevat: Elevating Eating & Tu b'Shevat

Felt birds tribute for Shabbath Shirah

The Shabbat on which the Parsha of Beshalach is read is called Shabbat Shira, because it contains the song sung by Israel after the splitting of the Red Sea.
Tradition teaches that there are only ten true Songs (Shirot, the plural of Shirah) in the history of the world. These true Songs are not mere melodies; they are expressions of the harmony of creation and mark monumental transitions in history. Another of these Songs appears on the haftarah portion for the week (Judges 4:4-5:31): the Song of Deborah. The Song of Songs is, of course, one of the Ten Songs. Interestingly, the Tenth Song has not yet been sung: it is the Song of the coming of the Mashiach, which will be sung at the End of Days (see Isaiah 26:1).

To celebrate Shabbat Shirah, the Rabbis suggested, in addition to the customs connected with the synagogue Torah reading, a home-based ritual: on Shabbat Shirah we feed the birds. Some have suggested that we do so to acknowledge the birds’ singing in praise of G.d and his great miracle at the sea. Others have linked feeding birds with their role in the biblical story of the double portion of manna that miraculously appeared on Friday so that the Israelites would not have to gather manna on Shabbat. A midrash tells us that two trouble-makers, Dathan and Aviram, put out manna Friday evening so that the people would discover it on the morning of Shabbat and Moshè and G.d would be discredited. But the birds gobbled up all the manna before the people awoke, preserving the miracle of the double portion of manna on Friday and its absence on Shabbat and, thus, confirming the leadership of Moshè. 

Tribute to the birds

 Homemade garland with handmade felt birds decoration for Shabbath Shirah.

Shevat board

Seven facts about the Hebrew Month of Shevat
Jews around the world usher in the new month of Shevat today. While not as well known as the Hebrew months of Tishrei or Nissan, when we celebrate the High Holidays and Passover, Shevat is a month rich in symbolism and meaning.

The month of Kislev brown paper board

1.It’s the Eleventh Month in Torah
The Torah doesn’t give names to the months of the year. Instead, it calls Nissan, the month of spring, the first month. Counting from Nissan, then, makes Shevat the 11th month.
2. It’s All Babylonian to Me:
The name first appears in the Book of Zechariah, and is believed to be a loan word from ancient Akkadian. Related to the word lashing, the name refers to the heavy rains of the season as winter draws to a close. Rain, in Jewish tradition, is tied with blessings.
3. The Age of Aquarius
The sign for the month of Shevat is Aquarius, the waterbearer. This further ties Shevat to the rainy season, reflecting the Biblical verse, “Water will flow from his wells.”
4. Make Like a Tree
Shevat is well known as the month of Tu B’Shevat, the new years for trees, but according to the Mishnah, there’s an opinion that the new year should be celebrated on the first of the month, not the 15th.
5. The King’s Speech
The month of Shevat was when Moses prepared for his passing in the following month on 7 Adar. He took the opportunity to rebuke the children of Israel, as recorded in Deuteronomy. Out of honor for the Jewish people, Moses saved these words of rebuke and heartfelt criticism until right before he passed away.
6. How Do You Say Abraham?
The Midrash explains that Moses spent the month of Shevat translating the entire Torah into the 70 major languages then spoken.
This teaches an incredibly important lesson: Every Jew has a connection to the Torah, even one who can not read it in its original tongue.
7. A Hidden Message:
We don’t know who first gave the month this special acrostic, but the word Shevat can stand for the Hebrew express Shenishma Besurot Tovot, that we should be blessed to share good tidings.
How appropriate in the month that celebrates the blessings of abundance, new life, and importance of the Torah.

                                                Children version

The Laws & Customs of Rosh Chodesh

Tevet board

Tevet is the 10th month on the Jewish calendar, counting from Nissan. Its name, which is mentioned in the book of Esther, was acquired in Babylonia, and shares a root with the Hebrew word tov, meaning “good.”
This month begins with the last days of Chanukah. By internalizing the message of the ever-increasing lights of the menorah we are able to reveal the good that is hidden in our lives and in the world around us.
The 10th of Tevet is a fast day, commemorating the start of the siege of Jerusalem in the year 3336 (425 BCE), which led to the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) three-and-a-half years later on the ninth of Av.

The month of Tevet brown paper board 

The Laws & Customs of Rosh Chodesh

Traditional string and nails art

One-of-a-kind home decor wall art that you make yourself. Keep it or gift it... either way you'll be happy with this unique star string art for your home.
Wood pine board is hand sanded and hand stained in dark walnut, afterward finished with natural wax.  Use the highest quality wool string 

Art of the string

DIY String Art: 24 Designs to Create and Hang

 

 

Hanging decorations

Wooden hanging star decorations

Wooden menorahs

If you’re a craftsperson, you’ll definitely appreciate these handmade Menorahs.
Hanukkah is all about spreading the Hanukkah lights publically. These Menorahs are perfect (and quite literal) examples of that.
The upcoming wood Menorahs are a great to draw some creative inspiration.

 Wooden Hand Painted Hanukkah Menorah

These Menorahs are proof that wood Menorahs don’t have to be dull. In fact, with the right dose of Jewish creativity, they become quite the opposite.
I hope you found some inspiration, or perhaps your next wooden Hanukkah Menorah…
Hanukkah Sameach .
 

Bright clay menorahs

Handmade clay Menorah/Hanukkia for Chaunukkah.
This is a lovely clay Menorah of tiny houses, a Hanukkah menorah and a Hanukkah gift. It is handmade, houses of Israel scenario menorah which makes a perfect Jewish holidays gift, tiny houses menorah, mountain village  menorah . They are a very colorful and vivid clay menorahs. These menorahs are made of white clay, carved & painted with many bright ceramic colors. They  have  9 holes for candles in which 8 are on one level and one is a bit up for the "Shamash". 
These will absolutely add warmth and joy to your holiday atmosphere. Happy Hanukkah!  

 Clay tiny menorah

Menorah Story

The Lights of Hanukkah: A Book of Menorahs

 

 

Giant felt dreidels

Dreidel is Yiddish for "spinning top." A dreidel is a pointed, four-sided top which can be made to spin on its pointed base. Dreidels are normally made of plastic or wood, though there are silver or glass "designer dreidels" available on the market, usually intended for display purposes. It is customary to play dreidel games on the holiday of Chanukah.
It is told that the dreidel, known in Hebrew as a sevivon, dates back to the time of the Greek-Syrian rule over the Holy Land—which set off the Maccabean revolt that culminated in the Chanukah miracle. Learning Torah was outlawed by the enemy, a "crime" punishable by death. The Jewish children resorted to hiding in caves in order to study. If a Greek patrol would approach, the children would pull out their tops and pretend to be playing a game. Read the Chanukah story here.
By playing dreidel during Chanukah we are reminded of the courage of those brave children.

Giant felt hanging dreidels

Dreidel

Dreidel Game: Who will play with me? 

The Dreidel that Wouldn't Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah

The Parakeet Named Dreidel

 

 

 

Ancient Jewish Home reconstruction

A reconstructed interior of one room of an israelite house, monarchy period.
Israelites lived in nuclear households, often with their relatives in clusters of houses around a common courtyard. Houses were made of mudbrick with a stone foundation and perhaps a second story of wood. The living space of the houses consisted of three or four rooms, often with sleeping space on the roof or in a covered roof loft. One of the first-floor rooms was probably a courtyard for domestic animals, mostly sheep and goat.

Reconstructed Jewish interior

Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory (Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)

Hanukkah days counter

When the Greeks entered the Temple they defiled all the oils and when the Hasmoneans prevailed and defeated them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the Kohen Gadol. It contained only enough oil to light for one day, yet a miracle happened and they used it to light for eight days. This aspect of the Hanukkah story, learned from the Talmud, is commonly taught to Jewish children in Hebrew and Sunday schools across America; and it is surely the most remembered part of the holiday narrative, told and retold throughout the world. Perhaps this miracle-centered version occurs so often because Jews are more familiar with the Talmud than with the Apocrypha where the historical books of the Maccabees are found.
Or perhaps the frequency is inspired by the emphasis on the oil and the hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah); they offer something tangible with which to express our deep connection to and appreciation for the valor of our ancestors. Most likely though, the recounting of the miracle is so dominant and popular because it focuses on the role of God in this story, as opposed to the Maccabees’ military accomplishments, a focus echoing a phrase from the biblical Book of Zechariah that is always chanted during Hanukkah: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit…”
Whatever the reason, the talmudic legend remains the account of Hanukkah that most Jews know. Within it, however, are layers of items to ponder and criticize, and questions to answer. For example, even people who seem to accept the legend and not question the miraculous nature will ask why we must celebrate for eight days; after all, if there was enough oil for one day, then the duration of the miracle was only seven days not eight! The common response from the tradition is that the oil burned extraordinarily slowly, diminishing only a bit for each of the eight days, and therein lies the miracle.
Beyond any symbolic explanations for the number eight lie some more practical, concrete, or commemorative explanations. One Rabbinic tradition says that the Hasmoneans (Maccabees) may have needed eight days to become purified, after being in contact with the dead on the battlefield. Purification consisted of being sprinkled with clean water that had been mixed with the ashes of an unblemished, sacrificial red heifer. (my jewish learning)

 Hannukah days counter

Hanging rustic Hanukkah days counter made of pine wood and blackboard.

8 Days of Light - Hanukkah Coloring Book For Kids

Journal: Mogen David Pattern (Yellow)

Hanukkah home carousel

Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” is the festival that commemorates the purification and rededication of the Temple following the defilement caused by the Greeks during their occupation of that holy place. Today, the holiday reminds Jews to rededicate themselves to stand against forces that would destroy Judaism and to keep alive the flame of Jewish religion, culture, and peoplehood so that it may be passed on to the next generation.
Originally, the eight-day holiday was intended to parallel the eight-day festival of Sukkot. The Books of the Maccabees made no mention of the legend concerning a small jar of oil that unexpectedly lasted for eight days. Only centuries after the Maccabees’ defeat of the Syrians did the story of the jar of oil, which has come to be a part of Hanukkah, appear in the Talmud.
When the Maccabees entered the Temple and began to reclaim it from the Greeks, they immediately relit the ner tamid (eternal light), which burned constantly in the Temple and has a parallel in our synagogues to this day. In the Temple, they found a single jar of oil, which was sufficient for only one day. The messenger who was sent to secure additional oil took eight days to complete his mission, and miraculously, the single jar of oil continued to burn until his return. The rabbis of the Talmud attributed the eight days of Hanukkah to the miracle of this single jar of oil.

A family celebrates Hanukkah by lighting the menorah, playing dreidel, making latkes, exchanging gifts, and recalling the heroism of the Maccabees.Celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights with the menorah you love the most.

                                                                   Menorahs

Hanukkah