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| OHCC LIVING | JANUARY 2021 | 17 Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Garden Club We are certainly fortunate in southern California to be surrounded by flowers, gardens, and nurseries all year round. Since we are not able to enjoy our knowledgeable guest speakers at Garden Club meetings right now, we will use these articles to feature some of the beautiful local botanical gardens & specialty nurseries that surround our community. For example: How would you like an armful of beautiful fresh flowers to start off the new year? Maybe you will unleash your creativity by making a floral wreath or unique arrangement for your home. Perhaps you have a neighbor or family member who is shut in and would enjoy a lovely bouquet. One nearby place to find gorgeous fresh flowers year round at discount prices is Cali Wholesale Flowers. We hope you will take the opportunity to visit them when you have a special occasion to celebrate. Cali and several other talented floral vendors are located in a wholesale warehouse just a short drive away at 5858 Dryden in Carlsbad. The unique garden beauty available nearby is one way we can use nature to lift our spirits during the winter months, and to inspire our garden creativity as spring approaches . We extend our wishes for a Happy New Year to each of you as we launch 2021 together here in OHCC. Yiddish Club Hello everyone, it's a new year full of hopes and dreams of being an active club again! The Yiddish Club membership approved the 2021 slate of officers as follows: President - Elaine Massei; Vice President - Carole Silverman; Secretary - Joann Bush; and Treasurer - Arnie Wallins. Serving on the Board of Directors: Don Kent, Batia Cagan, Itamar Cagan, Katherine Backman, Laraine Steinman, Harv Jaffe, Debbie Garey, and Lainy Vinikow. Pictured from left to right are Itamar, Katherine, Carole, Elaine, Batia, Laraine, Arnie, and Harv. Yearly dues remain at $10 per person. 2020 dues have been rolled over to 2021. The Yiddish Club has been active for the past 29 years, beginning as a Yiddish conversation group. We are now a social club. While we enjoy learning about the Yiddish language, very few of us speak it in our daily lives. The Club is open to all members, no matter what their religious affiliation. As you may recall from a previous article, Yiddish is a spoken language and not a religion! As a social organization, we meet on alternate months, and promote camaraderie, Jewish and Yiddish history, and various other topics as it relates to our membership. During our June and December luncheon, we provide traditional foods, light-hearted entertainment, and just plain fun!! Now, let me introduce you to a forthcoming holiday in January: Tu BiShvat. The name of this festival, "Tu BiShvat," actually represents its date. "Tu" is a pronunciation of the Hebrew letter for the number 15, and falls during the Hebrew month of "Shevat." It is a lesser known festival, celebrated Jan. 27 to Jan. 28, 2021. Tu BiShvat is considered an ecological awareness day, akin to Arbor Day, and trees are planted in celebration. Scholars believe that originally Tu BiShvat was an agricultural festival marking the emergence of spring. Above inset is a bit of Tu BiShvat humor. This holiday has become a tree planting festival in Israel in which Israelis and Jews around the world plant trees in honor of, or in memory of, loved ones and friends. Tu BiShvat is considered the new year for the trees, and a period during which new, young trees should be planted. Why in mid- winter? It was concluded that the majority of annual rainfall had taken place, thus yielding a healthy supply of water saturated soil in which to plant new trees. Tu BiShvat is an authentic "Earth Day." Early settlers in Israel began planting new trees, not only to restore the ecology of ancient Israel, but as a symbol of renewed growth of the Jewish people returning to their homeland!! So, come join us! As the "Yiddish Club" we, too, can grow spiritually, emotionally and educationally, and we can have a great time as well! ~ Elaine Massei