- April 28, 2024
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Samantha, Josh and Layla Goldman attend Temple Emanu-El's Strawberry Fields Shabbat at Hunsader Farms on Jan. 20.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
To celebrate the birthday of the trees, Rabbi Michael Shefrin asks the children to pose like a tree.
Photo by Lesley DwyerBrian Albright roars like a dinosuar.
Photo by Lesley DwyerJacob Shefrin knows how to sing "Gilly Gilly Good Shabbat" really fast.
Photo by Lesley DwyerMembers whose birthdays are in December and January receive a special birthday blessing.
Photo by Lesley DwyerMark and Lexi Goldman take baby Lexi on a train ride through Hunsader Farms.
Photo by Lesley DwyerWhen the train doesn't start, it gets a jumpstart like a car.
Photo by Lesley DwyerIsaac Parker waits patiently for his turn on the train.
Photo by Lesley DwyerThe train is up and running, and the first group heads out.
Photo by Lesley DwyerBrian, Monica and Karen Hershman are newer members to Temple Emanu-El.
Photo by Lesley DwyerIt was a celebration of the trees, but the seeds being planted had more to do with educating children.
Temple Emanu-El hosted its annual Strawberry Fields Shabbat at Hunsader Farms on Jan. 20. The group gathered under the oak trees to sing, share stories, play and pray.
Rabbi Michael Shefrin asked all the children who attended to join him in some yoga poses.
First, they crouched to the ground pretending they were seeds. Then, they stood tall like the trees and swayed with the wind.
The group sang, clapped and danced along to several songs. After speeding up the lyrics to “Gili Gili Good Shabbat,” the rabbi’s 6-year-old son Jacob Shefrin shouted to his father, “I can sing it faster than you!”
Shefrin told the story of “The Carob Tree” to illustrate the importance of planting seeds for the future. In the story, a little boy named Honi sees an old woman planting a carob tree and doesn’t see the point if she won’t be here in 70 years to see the tree fully mature.
“We plant trees and take care of the earth and learn from our families,” he told the children. “It’s so important to do all of those things especially around the birthday of the trees.”
The families wandered through the farm’s petting zoo and took a train ride. The first train was delayed when it wouldn’t start, but the conductor quickly fixed the problem. He pulled up his pickup truck, gave the train a jumpstart and the group was off.
“Shabbat is the most special day of the week,” Shefrin said. “It’s so nice to celebrate together in this beautiful place. This is the week where every year Jewish people celebrate the birthday of the trees."
