Jewish communities across North America are embracing Tu b'Shevat as a Jewish Earth Day, linking traditional Jewish understandings of our relationship to and responsibility for all Creation with profound concern about the global ecological crisis.

What for centuries was a relatively unimportant Jewish observance is now increasingly imbued with rich meaning celebrated with a variety of observances. The late 20th-century embrace of Tu b'Shevat by Diaspora Jews represents an important turning point in the history of Jewish relations to the land.

The traditional post-exile practices of Tu b'Shevat were developed primarily in the Middle Ages by Jews searching for an opportunity to connect with the Land of Israel. For most of the last hundred years, Tu b'Shevat has been widely observed as an opportunity to support the building of the Jewish state. Most recently, Diaspora observances of Tu b'Shevat indicate the desire of Diaspora Jews to build caring relationships with the land on why they live.

Many contemporary Diaspora Jews are no longer satisfied by an abstract relationship to the rhythms of nature through the celebration of festivals linked to the seasons of the Land of Israel.

They are increasingly taking time to learn about, to protect and to preserve the ecosystems and creatures with which they live. Tu b'Shevat is now celebrated by learning about the places in which Diaspora Jews live, studying Jewish environmental ethics and engaging in acts of ecological "tikkun," or repair. This Tu b'Shevat marks a significant step in the growth of the Jewish environmental movement. Jewish environmentalists find in Judaism a profound response to the environmental crisis we face as a society, and find in ecological thought and action insights and practices that have the power to renew Judaism.

For the growing number of young Jews with deep commitments to environmental activism, Jewish environmentalism offers them a way to meaningfully maintain their involvement in the Jewish community. While Jewish communities have been cultivating a response to the ecological crisis, corporate interests - such as the mining, timber and petrochemical industries - have been building a movement to dismantle the environmental protections that we have come to take for granted in the United States.

The 104th Congress has given corporate interests unprecedented access and attention; some of its leaders have worked closely with industry to draft legislation that would reverse two decades of bipartisan environmental accomplishments. Fortunately, many people of conscience across the country are speaking out about our obligation to protect Creation for its own sake and for the sake of human health and well-being now and in the future.

However, the outcry is not yet sufficient to turn the tide. More people must understand what is at stake - for ourselves, our children, all people and all creation - and take action.

As we mark the approach of spring this Tu b'Shevat, we cannot afford to be silent about the fateful decisions our nation is making. What can we do to cultivate an authentically Jewish response to the environmental crisis that will contribute to healing our relationship with the Earth as well as to the renewal of Jewish life?

* Revive the mitzvot and "minhagim," or customs, that celebrate the wonder of life and that involve us in a caring relationship with Creation. Tu B'Shevat, Shabbat and many other holidays have ecological significance, as do a wide range of other Jewish observances. Both Judaism and ecological consciousness beckon us to acknowledge and act upon the recognition that there is something much larger than us at work in the universe.

* Learn about the places in which we live by becoming familiar with the creatures, plants, hydrology and geology of our bioregions. Our synagogues, day and religious schools, and community centers can sponsor educational programs, organize visits to nature centers, stock libraries with appropriate books and magazines, and work with local conservation organizations and other civic groups with common goals.

* Act to effect ecological tikkun personally, institutionally and politically through reforestation and other restoration efforts, political advocacy and responsible management of our own homes. This Tu b'Shevat, all Jewish individuals and institutions should make a commitment to reduce the use of paper products, to establish recycling programs for paper waste and to buy recycled paper products.