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Simmons Hillel Hosts Tu B'Shevat Event, 'One Night Only: Quadside's Going Green!'
March 3, 2009Comments (1) | Add | E-mail this to a friend
 Students celebrate Tu BShvat at One Night Only: Quadisde is Going Green.
Participants learned about the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat: The New Year of the Trees; participated in an interactive Tu B'Shevat seder; tasted traditional foods of the holiday; heard about the research and work of the Biology Liaison, Chemistry Liaison, and the Sustainability committee; planted parsley seeds to that will be ready to use at their Passover seder; viewed the short film The Lorax; enjoyed "dirt cake;" learned about Hasbara's Think Green, Think Blue campaign; and played the game Treevial Pursuit.
The Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat is celebrated each year as the a New Year for the Trees, rejoicing in the fruit of the tree and the fruit of the vine, celebrating the abundant gifts of the natural world which give our senses delight and our bodies life.
It also marks the beginning of spring in Israel. Sustaining rains are at the peak of their power and the world responds, brimming with buds of fragrant life.
For Jews outside of Israel, Tu B'Shevat is a celebration of the renewal of vision and awareness, a celebration of connections and connectedness--to our own inner-selves, to the social world of human beings, and to the natural world and its Source.
To mark this moment, school children plant trees.
This year the holiday began at sundown, Feb. 8 and continued until sundown Feb. 9.
Quadside's Going Green participants enjoyed the many activities they had to choose from:
- The interactive Tu B'Shevat information table and Tu B'shevat seder was a way for participants to learn about the seven species and the four main themes of Tu B'Shevat. When they were done, they assembled their own cup of "dirt cake!"
- Participants also planted parsley seeds in the cups made by the Simmons Chemistry/Physics Liaison.
- The Biology Liaison advertised their work on campus and the Sustainability Committee gave participants the opportunity to sign out recycling bags.
- Hasbara's Think Green, Think Blue campaign highlights Israel's contributions to environmental sustainability. TGTB is a fantastic set of materials including posters, fact cards, buttons, and detailed fact sheets.
- Participants sat down in the theater for a viewing of the Dr Seuss classic The Lorax.
Student organizers Charlotte Badler, '11, and Rachel Heller, '11 said they were thrilled with the turnout and so happy many people came to learn about Judaism's values regarding ecology and sustainability.
Ailene Gerhardt, Simmons Hillel director and director of Small Campus Advancement at Hillel Council of New England shared her pride regarding this entirely student created, student initiated event.
"The students have been working hard since early December on this event. They have been approaching co-sponsors, securing donations (Shaw's grocery store), and compiling resources. They have done so much work and it is so nice to see so many people enjoy this event!"
Simmons Hillel is grateful for the following resources provided for this event: Dr. Seuss' film The Lorax, Hasbara's Think Green, Think Blue campaign, and BabagaNewz.com's Treevial Pursuit Game.
The program would not have been a success without these fantastic resources.
To view photos of the One Night Only: Quadside's Going Green!, visit our web album.
For more information about this program at Simmons and other information about Jewish life at Simmons, visit Simmons College Hillel online: www.simmons.edu/~hillel or contact Hillel: hillel@simmons.edu or (617) 521-2137.
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