How do we respond to these troubling, turbulent times? 
By planting one million trees all over earth this coming Monday.

There are many other important ways to rise, respond and repair, but today I’m inviting you to think about trees. Reforestation is a healthy, if surprising response, rooted in Jewish tradition, endorsed by environmentalists, and perfectly suited for this dead-of-winter moment and politically chaotic time. It’s about healing.  And it’s about this time of year. This coming Monday, 2/10, is the full moon of mid winter and the Jewish New Year for Trees, known as Tu B’shvat. This lovely, odd holiday began thousands of years ago as an agricultural marker used to assess the age of taxable trees. Over centuries it evolved to become a mystical celebration of the tree of life within each of us. It also became a gastro-ritualistic opportunity to eat a lot of fruit.

A century ago, this became the holiday for planting trees in Israel. And in recent decades another rebranding framed this day as an annual reminder for focusing on healing our earth, trees and all.  (You can check out a brief recent VIDEO in which I unpack the holiday’s incredible evolution.)

In recent months, JTREE, a new international Jewish movement, led by rabbis and activists, was formed to encourage involvement, both communal and individual, in efforts at restoring and protecting forests, as well as planting new trees, all over the world.

Lab/Shul proudly partners with JTREE and Hazon to promote this new initiative. This coming Monday we want to celebrate this birthday of trees by stepping up and promoting the planting of one MILLION TREES.

The rapid deforestation of our planet is a major contributor to the proliferation of greenhouse gasses and the decline of air quality worldwide. Rain forests and wetlands are disappearing, diminishing soil resources, and it’s often due to human greed and indifference. We can’t heal all but we can respond and not get sucked into despair. Start with one tree.

I have a specific tree in mind as I write this – one that spoke to me on one dark night of the soul three years ago.

I want to share with you this story about the deep connection that exists for me between trees and this prolonged political moment. On that terrible night of the last presidential election, I had a powerful vision that continues to offer me hope. It was needed again this past week.

In the vision I saw a massive tree with roots deep in the earth and branches reaching up to the moon. Be like me, said the tree, ground yourself firmly and hold on to the other branches – interconnected. We’ve stood up to storms before and we will again. We can do this. Hold on.

The tree of life keeps growing within each one of us even as greed and malice burn so many millions of trees all over the world. The tree, an ancient human symbol of survival reminds us to persist, at slower pace of becoming, beyond the fast pace of industry and news cycles and election polls. 

So I hold on to the tree, the vision and the roots, the brave branches and the ever returning leaves that will come back, again, in spring. With all the rage and sense of betrayal that so many of us are now experiencing, we have so many reservoirs of strength to lean into and learn from – some ancient sages, some wise old trees.

The Hebrew word for tree is ETZ. The Hebrew word for advice is ETZA. The trees are here to counsel us humans, to help us remember patience and persistence, and we’re here to help make sure they endure and grow and keep on breathing through and within each one of us.

This is our ecosystem and it’s on us.  The rage meets the responsibility, one tree at a time.

In the months ahead I am excited to help our nascent Green Team grow steadily and engage our larger community in ongoing ways of healing our earth and living more sustainable lives.

For now: Go plant! Happy new year to the trees within and beyond. 

Shabbat Shalom

Amichai