nigun collective: tu b'shevat
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tu b'shevat is weird, right? we have this lovely holiday, rooted in mysticism and history that is hyper-relevant to our lives post-hole in ozone layer. so what do we do with it? have a tu b'sehvat seder grades k-8 and then sort of check out of observing it ever again. a lot of friends in our community are committed to living their greenest lives. they choose to bike instead of drive. they choose to compost instead of trash. they only eat vegan, vegetarian, or organic. these are all jewish choices. our tradition has a bounty of writings and stories emphasizing the holiness of nature and our obligation to cultivate and save the earth in anticipation of future generations. here's how we decided to observe tu b'shevat ...
where our food came from
whole foods
for this event we stopped by the bulk aisle for our simple essentials (almods, figs, dates) and by the antipasto bar for a selection of olives and stuffed grape leaves. fresh fruit, veggies, hummus are the first things to disappear at our events. the cracker selection at whole foods is unparalleled, especially if you're looking to include your gluten free friends. barley and wheat were represented in our cracker choices. we didn't overthink wine but we did want to offer an extra variety in the spirit of tu b'shevat and celebrating grapes. we found affordable rose, white, and red offerings, nothing more than $15 and you know what? they tasted just great. and finally, i'm about to share my insider whole foods tip: bits and bobs. cheese is the one food everyone wants at a party but is pricey to do right. whole foods has this excellent deal where you can get the tail ends of fancy cheese bricks for cheap. they are typically priced between $1.50-$3.00 and can serve 3-4 people each. you can really take your cheese game to the next level and expand your taste horizons in the process.
sweet art
we also had the most delicious cupcakes ever from sweet art, one of our absolute favorite bakeries. they do fantastic vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. i'm getting hungry just thinking about their biscuits. also their lentil soup is fire. go visit them asap.
for this event we stopped by the bulk aisle for our simple essentials (almods, figs, dates) and by the antipasto bar for a selection of olives and stuffed grape leaves. fresh fruit, veggies, hummus are the first things to disappear at our events. the cracker selection at whole foods is unparalleled, especially if you're looking to include your gluten free friends. barley and wheat were represented in our cracker choices. we didn't overthink wine but we did want to offer an extra variety in the spirit of tu b'shevat and celebrating grapes. we found affordable rose, white, and red offerings, nothing more than $15 and you know what? they tasted just great. and finally, i'm about to share my insider whole foods tip: bits and bobs. cheese is the one food everyone wants at a party but is pricey to do right. whole foods has this excellent deal where you can get the tail ends of fancy cheese bricks for cheap. they are typically priced between $1.50-$3.00 and can serve 3-4 people each. you can really take your cheese game to the next level and expand your taste horizons in the process.
sweet art
we also had the most delicious cupcakes ever from sweet art, one of our absolute favorite bakeries. they do fantastic vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. i'm getting hungry just thinking about their biscuits. also their lentil soup is fire. go visit them asap.
our event
nigun collective: tu b'shevat edition
our invitation to our community for this event was: "We invite you to sing in the New Year of the Trees with Ashreinu on Wednesday, February 8 for our Nigun Collective: Tu B'Shevat Edition. We will sing, teach, and meditate on old and new melodies steeped in Jewish tradition, with the theme of connecting deeply to the earth, trees, and their wisdom. We're honored to have our dear community member Koach Frazier facilitating. No previous experience with nigunim required!"
the evening opened with intention setting. we each shared one thing we particularly loved about nature and turned our energy towards gratitude for the beauty and comfort nature has offered us.
don't underestimate the importance of tone setting. i tend to be all logic and efficiency based in my thinking, and those attributes don't lend themselves to making people feel safe and open. some of the steps we take to set the mood at ashreinu's nigun collectives include dimming lights/tea lights (ikea has the best price on these by the way), setting up the space in advance so that people sit close together and in a circle, and letting everyone know exactly what is going to happen at the beginning of the evening.
i plan to put together a post where i share caroline and my best tips for creating inclusive and atmospheric spaces.
our invitation to our community for this event was: "We invite you to sing in the New Year of the Trees with Ashreinu on Wednesday, February 8 for our Nigun Collective: Tu B'Shevat Edition. We will sing, teach, and meditate on old and new melodies steeped in Jewish tradition, with the theme of connecting deeply to the earth, trees, and their wisdom. We're honored to have our dear community member Koach Frazier facilitating. No previous experience with nigunim required!"
the evening opened with intention setting. we each shared one thing we particularly loved about nature and turned our energy towards gratitude for the beauty and comfort nature has offered us.
don't underestimate the importance of tone setting. i tend to be all logic and efficiency based in my thinking, and those attributes don't lend themselves to making people feel safe and open. some of the steps we take to set the mood at ashreinu's nigun collectives include dimming lights/tea lights (ikea has the best price on these by the way), setting up the space in advance so that people sit close together and in a circle, and letting everyone know exactly what is going to happen at the beginning of the evening.
i plan to put together a post where i share caroline and my best tips for creating inclusive and atmospheric spaces.