Cross-posted at my personal blog.

Tu B’Shvat is tonight. Since it’s been a while that I’ve been part of something Jewish (living with Mr. B does not count as doing something Jewish, although sometimes I try to pass it off as such,) I wanted to celebrate, which involves planting trees and eating fruits of the Torah (pomegranates, dates, olives, and Bamba.)

Unfortunately, we don’t have any Bamba and Mr. B hates olives in the same way that Hamas and Fatah hate each other. So, instead, I tried to get Mr. B and myself enthused about going to a Tu B’Shvat event, namely this event by the awesome Sixth and I (where we’ve gone for stuff before). Here is a description of the event:

Embrace your inner environmentalist by joining us for a Tu B’Shvat celebration. Dine and drink your way through a traditional seder as we sprinkle in tasty Kabbalistic tidbits and nature-inspired yoga poses. Tu B’Shvat; its more than just trees.

Tu B’Shvat, traditionally known as the birthday of the trees, is a time to think about relating to the natural world. This holiday can be celebrated by planting trees, eating fruits, and having a Tu B’Shvat seder, a ritual that began with the Kabbalists of the 15th century. At our seder, we’ll enjoy some new and exotic fruits, discuss issues of sustainability, and discover connections between environmentalism and Judaism.

Not to be a drag, but yoga poses? Really? And sustainability? I hate that word more than Mr. B hates olives because it’s overused so much it’s essentially nothing but a buzzword. Which makes me wonder, what have we as a Jewish people turned into?

Here’s how hipsters spend Tu B’Shvat:

Please take note of:

• The ironic hipster glasses
• The ironic bright orange almost American Apparel-like tee
• The ironic non-leggings sweatpants meant to resemble sweatpants from the 1980s
• The ironic laugh that just looks like it’s enjoying life but inside is full of more misery and pain than Unhappy Hipsters

And here’s how real Jews spent Tu B’Shvat. You know, building the land of Israel. Although Guy on the Left’s yoga shorts look really comfy. He probably got them at American Apparel.

source

I think, through all of this, it’s incredibly important not to underestimate the blows to his sanity that Mr. B experiences on a regular basis by being married to me:

Want to get in shape physically and spiritually – but want to do it simultaneously? If you live around LA, I invite you to this series of two back-to-back Bibliyoga workshops with the witty, worldly and wise BibiYogi, educator and performer Marcus J Freed of London.

Bibliyoga is soulfood for the body that offers a physical-spiritual uplift through powerful yoga, Jewish wisdom and Kabbalah. Yoga for Ecstatic Living: Bibliyoga for the Body & Soul workshops are each one hour vinyasa flow sessions for all levels of yoga from beginner to advanced. Both workshops will be followed by a salon discussion at a nearby café.

WHEN: Two consecutive nights!
Tues., Nov 10, at 8:00 p.m. Part I – “Finding Joy, Peace and Healing”
Wed., Nov 11, at 8:00 p.m. Part II – “Becoming Strength, Light and Happiness”

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY FOR THESE CLASSES!

WHERE: L.A.’s premier dance studio – Mimoda Studio Theatre (www.mimodastudio.com)
5774 W. Pico Blvd (two blocks East of Fairfax) Los Angeles CA 90019
Entrance is on Ogden side, back of the building.

COST: The one hour classes are $15 each and are limited to 50 students each night

HOW: Pre-pay at www.JConnectLA.com/register-now

Wear loose clothes and bring a yoga mat or some will be available for purchase.

More about Yoga for Ecstatic Living Workshop Series on this Facebook Event.

ABOUT BIBLIYOGI MARCUS J FREED
Marcus J Freed followed a path toward becoming the Bibliyogi ….
(more…)

Last call for Presenters
Want to be an integral part of Jewlicious Festival 5.0 this year? You have this week to get that idea from concept into proposal – and submit it on our site. Its a snap.

Is there a program that you want to be on the schedule!? Do you have a movie that you want others to view? Do you have a special talent that other people would enjoy learning? No matter what you have to share with us, we’d love to hear from you.

Our program committee will be picking the best proposals and putting them into this year’s festival. Incorporating content and programming generated from students and young professionals, is something we are very excited about and we look forward to hearing your ideas!

Click Here to take Presenter Survey

Festival Feedburner
Keep up to date on all the Festival news by subscribing here to our updates.

KEN LIBERMAN: Yoga & Surfing as Spiritual Resources
Meet Ken Liberman – Professor, Surfer, Yogi, Scholar of Tibetan Buddhism. What is a guy like that going to do at this year’s Jewlicious Festival (beside maybe a bit of crowd surfing)?

To find out, Jewlicious got in touch with Ken to ask about his interests and new book called “Yoga for Surfers,” and how that all ties into Reggae performances and Jews.

Jewlicious Festival 5.0 | music, arts & culture
Noon, Friday, February 27 — 6PM, Sunday, March 1, 2009
Long Beach, CA

Jewlicious Festival is a three-day gathering of Jewish students & young adults, held at the massive 85,000 sq. ft. Alpert JCC in Long Beach. The Festival features leading Jewish personalities, musicians, artists, and writers from around the world for a world-class concert series, inspiring Shabbat experiences, discussions and workshops. Jewlicious has been described as “an event unlike any other weekend in Jewish history.” Jewlicious unites trend-setters, artists and spirit seekers; Ashkenazim, Sefardim, Persians and Mizrachim; atheists, agnostics, skeptics and believers; designers, activists, jocks, and hipsters. Sound impossible? Don’t worry, we’ve done this before. Tickets are limited and will be on sale this Fall.

Our first student planning event is this Sunday, Sept. 21, at 5:30pm, in Long Beach. All students are invited for this BBQ Dinner event, where you can find sign up for planning teams. Email us for directions.

For sponsorship opportunities, vending, volunteering, media inquiries, music & film submissions, and other requests, please contact our National Festival HQ: JewliciousFestival@gmail.com 562-426-7601 ext 1424

tags: concerts food vip lounge comedy henna tattoos speakers cholent song dance cafe blogging good-vibes yoga kosher greenkeit vendor-shuk kabbalah slumber party apparel games slam-poetry challah online Israel workshops kiddush wine film jamming unity art dj’s swag pool yoideling meditation coffee tea improv fashion conversations bbq

Produced by Jewlicious, Beach Hillel, and JSS