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Tu B'Shevat is Here!

January marks the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, a time to celebrate the trees and fruits of Israel and to appreciate the source of life and nourishment. On Tu B’Shevat, it is customary to eat a fruit that you haven't eaten in the past year, especially the fruits from the seven species for which the land of Israel is praised. These seven species include wheat (chitah), barley (se'orah), grapes (gefen), fig (te'enah), pomegranate (rimon), olive (zayit), and date (tamar). Carob (edible seed pod), pears, citrons (a fragrant citrus fruit), oranges, apples, nuts, melons, apricots, and plums are other traditional fruits eaten during Tu B’Shevat. In Israel, homes are decorated with flowers and fruits, children are encouraged to plant trees, and many families have a Tu B’Shevat Seder.

Have fun creating these nature-based and festive Tu B’Shevat crafts with your children!

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Hiking in San Diego

In honor of Tu B’Shevat, the greenest of Jewish holidays, venture out to the beautiful mountains of San Diego to hike and celebrate the trees! The hikes listed here range from beginner to advanced, so you can choose the hiking trail best suited for your family.

Cowles Mountain
Hike length: 3 miles • Difficulty: Medium
This extremely popular hike may be the most traveled in the county! According to the “Afoot & Afield in San Diego” hiking guide, it is more popular than Mount Fuji! The Cowles Mountain hike, located just west of El Cajon, is a quick trail that offers just the right level of difficulty for anyone. Low-lying plants and a lack of trees add to the trail’s clean, well-groomed look, and from the summit hikers can see Lake Murray below, the ocean, downtown, and Mexico.

Iron Mountain Trail
Hike length: 5.8 miles • Difficulty: Medium
The Iron Mountain Trail in Poway is a good, standard hike. It starts off straight and slightly uphill, but soon curves upward into the eastern mountains. The trail is well maintained and the surrounding area is marked with large boulders that are great for climbing. Hikers will feel like they are miles from civilization. If you want to escape the city or suburbs for a few hours, look no further than here.

Los Peñasquitos Canyon
Hike length: 4.7 miles • Difficulty: Easy
Hikers on the Los Peñasquitos Canyon trail are treated to waterfalls, river views, and great scenery, all without heart-failure-inducing elevation changes! Perfect for a nice, smooth stroll, Los Penasquitos makes for an amazing family hike. The kids will love the river and waterfalls, while parents will take comfort in the safe area and wide paths.

Mount Woodson
Hike length: 6.4 miles • Difficulty: Hard
Mount Woodson in Poway begins at the shores of Lake Poway. The trail greets hikers with a gently sloping, unpaved path, but it soon steepens and rarely shows mercy for the rest of the trek. However, the peak rewards you with views of downtown, the Pacific Ocean, and Mexico!

Torrey Pines State Reserve: Razor Point Trail and Yucca Point Trail
Hike length: Razor Point, 1.3 miles; Yucca Point, 1.25
Difficulty: Easy
Located north of picturesque La Jolla, the Razor Point and Yucca Point trails are easy, relatively short, and can be enjoyed by anyone. The two paths share the same trailhead and both offer views overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The beach is accessible from the Yucca Point trail which is a fun side adventure for both you and your children!

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Jewish Family Service is Here for You

Employment & Career Services (ECS)
JFS Employment & Career Services is a free program for unemployed and underemployed job seekers. We offer job clubs that serve as networking opportunities, one-on-one job coaching, resumé assistance, interview preparation, and access to a variety of contacts in the community. For more information, contact ECS at (858) 637-3360.

Jewish Healing Center
The Jewish Healing Center provides a uniquely Jewish and spiritual perspective to everyday challenges and crises. Click here to view our upcoming winter workshops. For more information, call (858) 637-3070.

Jewish BIGPals: A Mentor. A Role Model. A Friend
Are you raising a child on your own? Do you have a healthy relationship with your child but sometimes wish he/she had another adult role model? Jewish BIGPals nurtures the exploration of Jewish identity and promotes positive self-development by matching safe, trusting, adult role models with children from single-parent and non-traditional families. The program trains and supports mentors to provide youth with friendship and guidance through life-enriching experiences. Learn how a Jewish Big Pal can enhance your child’s life. Call (858) 637-3090 or email sarahk@jfssd.org.

North Coastal Jewish Connections (NCJC)
Are you a resident of North Coastal San Diego who is looking to make a deeper connection to the Jewish community? NCJC can connect you to resources within JFS, to other community resources, and to the broader community. NCJC also provides brief counseling and crisis management, group therapy, and educational, spiritual, and fun community events. Join us on Sunday, January 26 for "Interfaith Interface," an open discussion for couples, parents, and grandparents of interfaith families to explore their diversity, find support, and address challenges faced in interfaith families. For more information, contact Jenny Camhi at (760) 402-1481 or jennyc@jfssd.org.

Pachie's Place
Pachie’s Place is dedicated to empowering parents to be more confident, informed, and connected. Pachie's Place hosts workshops and events throughout San Diego County and provides virtual community and resources through their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. For more information, contact Lauren Pearl at (858) 637-3068 or laurenp@jfssd.org.

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Jewish Community Events

Jewish Book Club with Chabad of Downtown
Wednesday, January 15 • 7:00–9:00pm
Private home of book club member
Our Jewish Book Club meets every other month throughout the year. The books we choose all have Jewish content. Meetings are held at club members homes and refreshments are served. Upcoming dates are:

• January 15 – The Terrorist Hunter
• March 25 – Sacred Trash, The Genizha of Cairo
• June 16 – When General Grant Expelled the Jews
• August 27 – Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson

To be notified of upcoming book club meetings/locations or to suggest book titles to read, email Simone Lund, Chairperson, at simonefidel@hotmail.com.

MLK Jr. Day of Interfaith Community Service with Congregation Beth Israel
Monday, January 20 • 9:00–11:30am
Morley Field at Balboa Park (Corner of Upas and Texas Streets)
Make it a day on, not a day off! This remarkable event will bring together Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and others for a morning of community service in Balboa Park to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Your whole family is invited to participate!  As your work ends, stay and picnic in the park! Come dressed prepared for outdoor work; we will be clearing and hauling brush, mulching, and planting. Tools will be provided by the park rangers, but it would be helpful if you want to bring your own work gloves and pruning tools. Bring your signed waiver form (if you pre-register) to help speed along the check-in process. If you're staying to picnic in the park, bring your food, blanket, or chairs and enjoy! If desired, your picnic lunch can be left in your car close to the picnic area. Register online or contact Program Director Bonnie Graff at (858) 535-1111, ext. 2519 with questions.

Jewish Poets/Jewish Voices
Tuesday, January 21 • 7:00–7:30pm
Lawrence Family JCC at the Samuel & Rebecca Astor Judaica Library
Join us for a nice evening with some featured poets followed by "open-mic" readings where you will be encouraged to share your own work. Bring your poetry, read it, sing it, or just listen! Everyone is welcome. This is the first of three planned evenings. Questions? Contact Susan Hagler at (858) 362-1150 or susanh@lfjcc.com.

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General Community Events

The Annual LJCSC Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Potluck
Wednesday, January 1 • 10:00am
La Jolla Shores (not the cove) at Kelogg Park
A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. The La Jolla Cove Swim Club puts one on every year and it’s one of the “coolest” San Diego events in January! Some will come to swim and others just to dip their big toe in the big blue (without turning...blue), but all should come to share in the joy of the New Year and the warmth of good friends, fellow swimmers, and great potluck food (cider/coffee provided). Please bring your favorite chili, soup, and/or warm food to compliment it. Warm clothes/hat/footwear and a camera are musts! Please remember that health and safety come first!

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade
Monday, January 20 • 2:00pm
Downtown San Diego
Celebrate the legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a downtown San Diego Bay waterfront parade. Musical bands, floats, and drill teams will march along the Embarcadero from North Harbor Drive south to Pacific Highway. The parade is coordinated by the Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest Black fraternity in the United States, which was founded in 1906 at Cornell University. Dr. King was a member of this fraternity.

The 6th Annual San Diego Big Bay Whale Festival
Saturday, January 25 • 11:00am–3:00pm
Embarcadero, Downtown San Diego
This unique community San Diego event offers interactive and hands-on displays, including a walk-through whale, live sea creatures, free face painting, a kids art mural coloring project, a giant inflated obstacle course, a trackless train, and a bounce house. There will be a music concert from 1:30–2:20pm. Kids 12 and under may cruise free with a paid adult on Hornblower cruises and San Diego Harbor Excursion whale-watching cruises.

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Cooking With Your Children

7 Species Salad
On Tu B’Shvat, it has become customary to eat and bless the seven species. These seven items of produce are all native to Israel, yet they also grow in other parts of the world. Prepare this salad with your children to celebrate your love for the land and each other.

Ingredients

• 10 oz  baby lettuce
• Pomegranate seeds
• 6 figs, quartered
• 1/2 cup seedless grapes, halved
• Dates, sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Honey (if you'd like the dressing to be sweeter) (optional)
• Barley wheat croutons

Directions

• If you can't find the croutons, you can make your own by cutting barley and wheat bread into chunks, brush or toss with olive oil, and bake in a low-heated oven until crisp.
• Toss everything except oil, vinegar, and honey into a bowl.
• Mix together the dressing ingredients.
• Adjust oil and vinegar to your taste and add honey if desired.
• Toss with salad and serve at once

ENJOY!

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