Community gardening is one of those really lovely urban pursuits that is activism in its softest and most loveable forms. Whatcan be more fun than getting together with your fellow neighbourhood folks and creating a beautiful green spot? Well, tomorrow is Tu Bishvat, the Jewish “New year’s day for the trees”. I’d like to think of it as a little bit of pagan preserved in the Jewish calendar. But rather than dance around “skyclad” in a forest while planning your human sacrifice, we prefer to plant trees and eat dried fruit. It’s now seen as a general day of getting back to nature, but ironically, the weekend nearest to the holiday is when just about every forest and national park will be rammed with visitors. Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, the community garden in Neve Tzedek will be holding a party to celebrate the holiday, which will start at 16:30 and go on, one assumes, for a few hours. There’ll be dried fruit, some planting of various things, all kinds of creative activities and a chance to meet local gardening activists. If you like gardening and feel the itch to get involved in something nice, then this will be the event for you. Don’t expect it to be a huge party or have a DJ or anything, though. I know they’re keen to get more people involved on a regular basis. Note that if it rains, the event will be postponed by a week. Israelis don’t like being outdoors in the rain.
Menashiya garden is at the end of Shabazi St. in Neve Tzedek (the Tayelet end), near the Tachana shopping area.
