On Monday and Tuesday night this week, Jews around the world attended the seder—one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals. Some had also participated in a seder in February, following the practice of 16th-century mystics who transformed Tu B’Shvat—the fifteenth day of the month of Shvat, or the “new year of the trees”—into a minor holiday complete with a ritual meal. But for most of its contemporary observers in America, Tu B’Shvat has become a day for environmental activism. Tevi Troy, in conversation with Jonathan Silver, explains how doing so is not only unfaithful to the holiday but symptomatic of a dangerous trend toward politicizing Judaism. (Audio, 25 minutes.)
Read more on Tikvah: https://tikvahfund.org/library/podcast-tevi-troy-on-the-politics-of-tu-bshvat/