This poster advertises Tu Bi’Shevat stamps issued in Israel on January 14, 1975. The title given on the poster is “Arbor Day Stamps” and at the bottom of the poster is the date the stamps were issued, 2nd Shvat 5735, January 14, 1975. The values of the stamps are 2.00, 0.01, and 0.35 lira. The logo of the Israeli Postal Authority featuring a running deer appears above the date.
The top two stamps on the poster depict two children celebrating Tu Bi'Shevat. Both children are wearing a floral headband as is customary on this day, and the child on the left is also wearing a kova tembel, a hat that used to be typical Israeli attire. The child on the left is outside and in the background are flowers, grass, and a rainbow. He is holding a plant pot with a small plant, probably for planting, he also has a water bottle hanging from his belt. The children are both wearing festive white shirts, presumably in honour of the festival. The girl on the right stamp is also outside among flowers and grass and is holding some branches. The bottom stamp features a bird singing on the branches of a flowering tree. All the stamps are designed in a colourful and modernist style.
The stamps were designed by Israeli artist Asher Kalderon. Born in 1929, Kaldron’s became well-known for his modern and unique style that would often capture biblical or traditional themes. He has won many awards for his paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and other designs.
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Tu B’Shvat - TuB’Shvat, the 15th day of the month of Shvat, is first mentioned in the Mishnah as one of the Jewish New Years, the date that marked the beginning of the tax year for fruits and trees. At the time of the Temple, this meant taking a portion of one’s crops and giving it to the Levites. This special day evolved into the New Year for trees, fruit, and nature that we know today. The tradition of planting trees slowly developed, not as a halachic ritual, but as a Zionist, nationalistic one. In 1884 the pioneers of the village of YesudHama’alah planted 1,500 fruit trees on TuB’Shvat, and in 1890 Rabbi Ze’ev Yaavitz planted seeds with his students in Zichron Yaakov. By doing this, Yaavitz and the YesudHama’alah farmers gave a Zionist interpretation to this mishnaic date by planting trees to make the Land of Israel flourish. In 1908, the teachers union in Jerusalem adopted this new tradition and made TuB’Shvat the “Festival of Planting” that was later adopted by the JNF-KKL and has since been celebrated by planting trees and promoting environmental concerns. Another traditional way of celebrating TuB’Shvat is conducting a TuB’Shvat Seder, a ritual first conducted in Tzfat (Safed) in the seventeenth century. This includes eating fruit of the Land of Israel and reading special passages that relate to fruit and the Land of Israel.
