Greetings From The Outpost Village!
We Outpost Villagers love to spend our time outdoors, and this time of year can be especially hard to do that. It’s frigid and icy, and the warmth of a cozy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate by the fire is oh so enticing. As January rolls into February, it can feel like we might never want to play outside again.
Don’t let the winter get you down! There are signs that spring is coming. The days are getting longer. The sun is setting later and later each day. The Jewish calendar tells us that the trees will soon awaken from their winter rest and begin producing flowers and fruit.
One of Outpost’s favorite holidays, Tu Bishvat, falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat (Feb 12-13 in 2025). Why do we love this holiday? Because it’s the Jewish New Year for Trees, and we sure love trees!
In ancient times Tu Bishvat was a reminder for farmers when they should begin planting their crops and marked the beginning of spring. For those of us in the Midwestern United States, it may still be a bit cold for planting trees, but we can take the opportunity to celebrate the coming of spring. Let’s celebrate by eating some fruits, and by discussing ways that we can enjoy our natural world and take better care of our environment this year.
If we can’t plant trees, we can celebrate Tu Bishvat by creating “New Year for the Trees” resolutions. In the Outpost Village we pledge to explore responsibly, leave no trace, and share our love of the outdoors with anyone who’s open to adventure!
What’s your Tu Bishvat resolution?
The Outpost Village is a 2-week Outdoor Adventure focused specialty camp for rising 6th-8th graders at Camp Chi. It runs from June 13-26 in 2025. Check out our webpage or reach out to jappel@jccchicago.org with questions.