Jewish concert combines ancient tradition, climate action
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/02/2025 (417 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Planting trees in frigid February isn’t an option, so members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community are getting creative.
Tu B’Shevat, or the New Year for the Trees, is a Jewish holiday where people plant trees in Israel as part of the start of the agricultural and gardening year in that country.
“You can’t plant trees in Winnipeg in February,” Leslie Emery, cantor at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, said. “We wondered, how could we revitalize this ancient tradition in our context?”
The answer is the Tu B’Shevat Climate Concert, which will be held at the synagogue at 561 Wellington Cres. at 7 p.m. on Feb. 13.
The concert, which celebrates the rebirth of nature, will feature cantors Janet Pelletier Goetze, David Vamos, Rabbi Anibal Mass and Emery, along with singer-songwriter Mal Magorel, the Ruach Choir and the Dor Chadash Youth Choir.
“The Torah teaches us about ways to interact with the Earth,” Emery said, adding it also promotes the idea of tree planting for the sake of future generations.
For her, the concert is a way to help people think about ways of being in harmony with the environment and bring attention to climate change.
“It’s a way to display ancient Jewish wisdom for people today,” she said, adding the idea of planting trees is a way to escape the paradigm often pushed on people today to “live only for now and not think about the future.”
Rabbi Anibal Mass of Shaarey Zedek said the concert is a way to be “reminded of Judaism’s deep and enduring commitment to our world.”
Judaism, he said, teaches that the Earth has been entrusted to humans and is not to be exploited.
At the same time, it’s a chance to “reflect on our role as stewards of creation. Just as we plant trees for future generations, we must nurture a world that is sustainable, just, and full of life,” Mass said.
Admission to the concert is $10; people can register to attend online until Saturday.
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John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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