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Community Corner

Chabad of S.C. Celebrates Tu B'Shevat with the Jewish World

The local synagogue timed its traditional celebration of the first new buds of spring to coincide with celebrations at synagogues as far away as Cambodia and Australia.

Chabad of San Clemente last weekend celebrated Tu B’Shevat, a Jewish new year celebration recognizing the first buds on the trees.

The synagogue celebrated in conjunction with One Shabbat, One World celebrations throughout world; Chabad of San Clemente joined thousands of others in communities in such diverse places as Chabad of Cambodia, Chabad of North Cyprus, Chabad of Western Australia, and all across America, including Orange County.

Tu B’Shevat, meaning the 15th day of the month of shevat on the Jewish calendar, is the time when the winter cycle is over in Israel and the new growth begins as the first buds appear.  

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The celebration is marked with eating those fruits and grains that are mentioned in Torah, Deuteronomy 8:8:

"G-d is bringing you to a good land ... a land of wheat barley, grapes, figs, and pomegranates; a land of oil yielding olives and (date) honey."

While the actual holiday isn't until Thursday, the celebration last Friday was planned to coincide with the One Shabbat, One World happenings in order to highlight Jewish unity and to raise consciousness about the coming age of Moshiach, or the Messiah.

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Rabbi Menachem Mendel Slavin said that if all Jews were more faithful in observing the sabbath—both resting and avoiding activity—the age of the Moshiach, or Messiah, would come sooner.

“If every Jew were to observe just two shabbos, the age of Moshiach would be here. This includes the two dimensions of shabbos; both the negative commandment to not do any work and the positive commandment to rest on shabbos.”

The celebration in San Clemente was attended by more than 50 people who were delighted by decorations including slices of tree trunks, a cupcake carousel and burlap tablecloths, compliments of local resident Kiki Herr of KRM Designs.

The floral arrangements were donated in part by Krista from Downtown Flowers. 

Rebbetzin, the rabbi’s wife, Tzipporah "Tzippy" Slavin, brought everything together, including the cooking, assisted by Resa Landau and Alma McClintock.  

During the evening the dinner, guests were entertained by the "Brooklyn Cantor," Rabbi Levi Blesofsky of Chabad of Yorba Linda, whose cantorial renditions of traditional Jewish melodies were a high note.

Rebbetzin Tzippy Slavin was asked to give her thoughts on the holiday earlier in the evening. “Tu B’Shevat is a day to celebrate what Hashem (the Jewish name for the Divine), what G-d has blessed us with in terms of produce and appreciating nature." 

Tzippy Slavin said she was excited by the fact that so many synagogues were celebrating One Shabbat, One World together across the globe.

“I think it is very well-connected," she said. "First of all, it says in the times of the Moshiach, the grapes and the pomegranates are going to be so big and there is going to be so much food the whole world is going to benefit from all of that. It is a time of showing gratitude. One Shabbat, One World is a time of unity, and also Tu B’Shevat is a time of unity where we celebrate what Hashem has given us and we don’t take things for granted."  

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