This year, we have a double celebration – the coinciding of Tu B’shvat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees, and MLK Day, when we commemorate the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. In Jewish day schools, this presents a great opportunity to think about ways to integrate your Judaic and general studies curriculum.
Fortunately, there are many resources available to give you ideas for your classroom or even to do at home. Here are some resources that are available:
- Jewish Learning Matters provides a lesson plan by JTeach, “Dr. King, Honi, and me,” focusing on the concept of legacy, what kind of impact we want to make on the world, and making sure our values are aligned with our actions. The lesson includes a hands-on art project for students to reflect on and explore these ideas.
- Hazon offers a Tu B’Shvat Hagaddah which has a helpful source page on the connection to MLK Day. It compares a source from the Talmud (“Anyone who is capable of protesting injustice in their home and does not, is responsible for the outcomes of their neglect…” -Bablyonian Talmud, Shabbat 54b) to Dr. King’s famous idea “why can’t we wait?” and asks thought-provoking questions such as “When the world and its inhabitants are being attacked, where is our sense of urgency on the environment and to ensure that ecosystems are sustainable?…How do we make this Tu B’shvat a critical encounter with the urgent needs of our planet Earth?”
- PJ Library notes that Tu B’Shvat is a great opportunity for tikkun olam, repairing the world, as we think about our environment and how we can better it, such as by doing park cleanup. Likewise, Dr. King dedicated his life to making the world a better place. The site provides service ideas and activities for preschool, elementary, and middle school age students.
- Here are some ideas of programming day schools and synagogues are planning in communities across the country:
- Storytelling, planting, crafts, and “the world’s fastest seder” (MetroWest Jewish Day School in Boston)
- Nature walk accompanied by clothes drive (Temple Ambler Arboretum and JKid Philly)
- Tree plantings (Ahavath Achim synagogue in Atlanta)
- “I Have a Tree: A Tu Bishvat + MLK Day Service Learning Project for Adults, Teens, & Families; Integrating Jewish Values and Dr. King’s Ever-Relevant Dream” (Southern California Yeshiva High School in San Diego)
We would love to hear how you marked this double celebration at your school. Please send us your posts and stories!