On Jewish Earth Day, more Jewish groups take climate action

By YONAT SHIMRON
Religion News Service

Tu BiShvat, the Jewish new year of the trees, barely registers on most Jewish calendars, except as an occasion to plant trees or eat fruit and nuts. But the one-day holiday, which begins Sunday, January 16, has gotten a boost these past few years as environmentalists have reimagined it as the Jewish Earth Day. Despite the growing urgency of tackling the global climate crisis, environmental values haven’t always been at the forefront of Jewish institutional life. But multiple Jewish organizations are beginning to consider the environment, spurred by rising global temperatures and growing climate weather disasters.