For the first time, the Bill of Human Rights had a Hebrew voice, that of Silvia Schnessel, our President.

On Wednesday February 21st at Café Teatre de l'Escorxador in Lleida, we took part in the act of the International Day of Mother Tongues organized by Paeria (Lleida Town Hall) and Òmnium Cultural. Around 30 people from different nationalities and race went on the scene at Café Teatre and read, one by one in various languages, all the items included in the Bill of Human Rights. Silvia Schnessel, president of Tarbut, was invited to take part in the act reading one of the articles in Hebrew. It was somehow a privilege to be called in the second turn after “the host voice” in Catalan. Many of Tarbut friends were present among the public. We all agreed on the fact that it was a positive experience, a reason for hope and understanding among the different groups of residents in the town and generally talking, in the world.

February 21st weekly gathering is cancelled in order to attend the act of International Day of Mother Tongues. Silvia Schnessel, president of Tarbut, has been invited to take part in it reading one item from the Human Rights Act in Hebrew.  The event will be held at Café Teatre de l’Excorxador at 19:30.

Tarbut Wednesday cultural activities that started last January open windows to the knowledge and understanding of the Hebrew culture more thoroughly, from the personal experience of men of faith to relevant characters in the recent history of Israel. On Wednesday February 7th, Baruch Hernández and Sinai Urban spoke for us about their own experience, their arrival to the Jewish faith, the way they went through from the Catholic Church, through Evangelic Church, to Judaism, and their special relation with the land of Israel. “¿Where else can we feel better than in the land of the people chosen by God?”, said Sinai. Last April, Baruch and Sinai completed the process marrying according to the Jewish law.
On Wednesday February 14th the meeting had a historic touch. Silvia Schnessel approached us to Theodor Hertzl, father of modern Sionism, without whom recent and present history of the State of Israel could not be understood. Her lecture on his biography, philosophy and influence was enriched with everybody’s comments on the political situation in the Middle East at present, which altogether led to an exciting discussion.  

About Teodoro Hertzl

Friday February 2nd was the beginning of the course "Jews in Medieval Catalonia: Culture, Identity and Daily Life", organized by Fundació Universitat de Lleida together with Grup de recerca consolidat Espai, Poder i Cultura. 

Tarbut, as friends of the Hebrew culture institution in Lleida, could not, by any means, miss this course. A large number of their members attend these lectures weekly and they do it privately not as representatives of the institution. Our vice-president, Mario Saban, will be in charge of the last lecture which will deal on "Contribution of Hebrew thinking to Western culture". The students were delighted with the second lecture in particular, that of Friday February 9th on "Sepharadic Literature: Hispanic voices since the Ottoman Empire". Professor Amor Ayala, from Mollerussa, who lives and works in Berlín, conquered the students’ hearts with her sympathy and knowledge. In the end of her lecture she spoke about her class in Berlin University and showed pictures of her group of students. The feeling was reciprocal and Amor Ayala, a lover of Sepharadic culture in particular and Hebrew culture in general, promised to become a member of Tarbut. Welcome! 

At Els Arquells, Agramunt, property of Josep Paris, we planted a cypress tree and signed the place with a commemorative plaque.

For the first time, the Jewish tradition of Tu Bishvat was celebrated in LLeida territories according to the Jewish tradition of showing respect and care for the nature as it is considered the beginning of a New Year for the trees. A group of members of Tarbut, following this tradition, went to the country to spend the day in the open air.  Since the beginning of 20th century this celebration has been associated in Israel to planting trees.  The place chosen was Els Arquells in Agramunt, propriety of Josep Paris, member and great friend of our institution. Both Josep and his wife Ramona were perfect hosts in their farm and welcomed us with a rich tasty brunch composed of the typical food usual on this occasion, such as all kind of fresh and dry fruit: grapes, nectarines, dates, dry figs, nuts and olives. After delighting in this selection, we went outdoors to plant Tarbut’s first tree, a cypress, in the property gardens. Next to it we stuck a commemorative plaque with our logo and date (Baruch’s contribution). Then we were gently invited to visit the family cottage as well as wander around the property Els Arquells, which is a tourist country resort. A little hermitage located in the area which is part of the property surprised us in our visit. An old building Josep and family have been restoring for years with great care. We spent a most pleasant morning that was completed with a succulent lunch in Montsonís.

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Our celebration of Tu Bishvat will have a second part this Saturday February 3rd which coincides, precisely, with 15th of Shvat. Just as they do in Israel on this day, we will go to the country to plant a tree. We will do so in one of our members’ property, Josep Paris’, in Agramunt (Lleida).

On Wednesday January 31st Tarbut weekly meeting was a reason for celebration. We spoke on Tu Bishvat, the Jewish festivity that honours nature. The name comes from the celebration date in the Jewish calendar, 15th of Shvat. It is considered of minor importance among other festivities of the Jewish calendar. Tu Bishvat marks the beginning of the trees New Year because it is on these days that the first buds of vegetation come out, the first flowers can be seen in the tress.  People usually go out for walks in the country, plant trees, read and sing songs about trees and nature, and eat fruit. On this occasion, it was Isa Corvinos and Silvia Schnessel that spoke about the origins of the festivity, its meaning, tradition and rules, its history, the various ways in which each community celebrates it, the different names by which it is known and other curiosities. In order to enter deeply into Tu Bishvat atmosphere, alter listening to their explanations, we laid the table with all kind of fruit and typical drinks of the day. On one hand, the three kinds of fruit specially eaten on Tu Bishvat: those in which only the exterior is eatable, those in which only the interior is eatable, and those that are totally eatable. Our table was full of both fresh and dry fruit of different kinds: apples, nectarines, pistachios, nuts, figs, dates, raspberries, cherries, bananas, etc. The fruit was accompanied by grape juice and red and white wine. We drank the wine following tradition and toasted tour times: first with a glass of white wine; in the second place, we had a glass of white wine with a drop of red wine; we followed with a glass of red wine with a drop of white wine and ended with a glass of red wine.  

About Tu Bishvat, by Silvia Schnessel and Isa Corvinos