Hannah Parker

Bertie Gardner (left) and Arianna-Rosie Bourgoin (right) listen to conversations discussing Tu Bi’Shvat.

On Jan. 24, enrollment counselor Bertie Gardner partnered with the student diversity and inclusion program to host the first Diversi-Tea event surrounding Tu Bi’Shvat, also known as the “New Year of the Trees,” a holiday for the Jewish religion/culture, sharing information with students regarding the holiday.  

“Diversi-Tea is a monthly meeting where the campus community is invited to join a relaxed conversation and “spill the tea” on a variety of diverse topics,” Gardner said. “It is my hope that presenting Jewish traditions will help people gain understanding for this community. Education, understanding, and exposure are key in fighting discrimination.” 

At this event, alongside Gardner, was Kachel Kohnhorst, who works with Keshet, an organization focused on LGBTQ+ Jewish non-profit with equality in Jewish life.  

“As a Texan Jew, I think that being able to teach other Texans about my culture is a huge blessing,” Kohnhorst said. “Tu’BiShvat directly translates to the 15th day of the month of Shvat, and on that day, Jews celebrate what could be considered the New Year of the Trees or the Birthday of the Trees.” 

At the event, a seder was provided. A seder is a traditional Jewish meal that you eat in a specific order, and at the seder Gardner and Kohnhorst included fruit such as grapefruits, bananas, strawberries and dates.  

Each student who attended the event came from a different religious background. 

“I learned more in-depth information about the Jewish culture and Jewish holiday,” first-year theater major Alex Bennett said. “I really appreciated [this] because I don’t come from a Jewish background.”   

A few students valued getting together and sharing religion and enjoyed hearing more about the Jewish holiday. 

“I think that the Jewish holidays have a real sense in coming together as a community,” Kohnhorst said. “In Jewish ritual law, we have kind of a commandment that says that to study Torrah, you have to have 10 people in the room. You can’t just study by yourself; you have to have friends and community around to bounce your ideas off of.” 

For more information about Diversi-Tea events, visit RamSpace for more details.