KKL-JNF and the National Institute for Shabbat, Society and Economics in partnership with the Shabbat UNPLUGGED Project, are gearing up for ‘Global Tu b’Shabbat’ events in more than 40 countries around the world.
Global Tu B’Shabbat events, which are being run by KKL-JNF’s Education and Community Division in partnership with the UNPLUGGED Shabbat Project and Israel’s National Institute for Shabbat, Society and Economics, will begin on Shabbat (Jan 15) and continue on through Jan 16-17 (eve and day of Tu B’Shvat).
The special Shabbat before Tu BiShvat collaboration between KKL-JNF and the UNPLUGGED Shabbat Project is now in its second year. The objective of the ‘Global Tu B’Shabbat’ is to connect Jews around the world to each other through the common values that link climate change mitigation, sustainability, and observing Shabbat.
"Shabbat [when you pause your weekday activity] is a remembrance of the act of Creation – ‘Zecher LeMaase Bereishit’. It’s inherently a 'green day' that contributes to protecting the environment," says Dr. Ruth Kabsa-Abramson, CEO of the Shabbat UNPLUGGED Project. "This year there is a unique opportunity to engage with these values, in connection with the year of the Shmita."
This year, too, Global Tu B’Shabbat will be celebrated by tens of thousands of Jews as they gather around their Shabbat tables in over 40 countries, including in the USA, Australia, Canada, France, South America, Russia, South Africa, Morocco, and more.
In honor of Global Tu B’Shabbat, the KKL-JNF Education and Community Division, together with Shabbat UNPLUGGED, have developed a unique activity kit that requires no technology to operate – a special runner for the Shabbat table printed with a plethora of graphics and fun activities. Approximately 10,000 active kits have been sent to 41 destinations around the world, in five different languages. The table runner kit is designed to encourage conversation and engagement in the values of climate change, sustainability and Shabbat in a playful and humorous way, creating food for thought that will accompany the Shabbat meal. Each runner is printed on canvas for multiple use, and packed in recycled packaging.
"Tu B'Shvat and Shabbat are symbols of consensus both in the State of Israel and in Jewish communities around the world,” says Sar Shalom Jerbi, Director of the KKL-JNF Education and Community Division. “This year, the world is [still] suffering under the shadow of the corona pandemic. That’s why it’s so important to bring hearts and minds together and strengthen the connection between the Jewish people in Israel and in the Diaspora. I invite everyone to download the rich kit of activities we have created, and to gather around the Shabbat table to enjoy and learn about the Tu B'shvat holiday, Shabbat and the KKL-JNF values of Zionism, environmental responsibility and more, in a creative and experiential way. This is a great opportunity to break free from the daily stress imposed by the pandemic and to focus on the [Tu BiShvat] holiday and the blessed Shabbat.”
Regarding the partnership between Shabbat UNPLUGGED and KKL-JNF, Dr. Ruth Kabsa-Abramson says: "The National Institute for Shabbat, Society and Economics promotes Shabbat as a national symbol, and unifies Jewish identity in Israel and worldwide around the concept of Shabbat as a Jewish value. We are delighted with the fruitful cooperation established with KKL-JNF, which teaches about the direct connection between the values of Shabbat and those of sustainability and the fight against the climate crisis."
Download the Tu B'Shabbat runner, in the following languages:
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Download the 2022 TuB'Shabbat runner in ENGLISH
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Download the 2022 TuB'Shabbat runner in FRENCH
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Download the 2022 TuB'Shabbat runner in HEBREW
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Download the 2022 TuB'Shabbat runner in RUSSIAN
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Download the 2022 TuB'Shabbat runner in SPANISH