Month: February 2025

Israel is the Start-Up Nation known for breathtaking advances in medicine, agriculture and technology. There is simply no-one on earth who uses a telephone, computer or who visits a hospital, that does not benefit from Israeli inventions, innovations and research. I recently stumbled across a fascinating new initiative called Vinotherapy, a method of treatment for individuals suffering from Post Trauma. It could be a veteran or simply a person who is a survivor of a terrorist attack in the streets where they live. The trials and research are being done here and to my knowledge it is the only place in the world exploring the idea of treating those coping with Post Trauma through the process of viticulture and winemaking.

Once a year we celebrate Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees. Children go on tree planting outings. Families will mark the festival by eating nuts and dried fruits. Those abroad will send donations for a tree to be planted in their name. This is the first festival of the new calendar year. Yet there is some dissonance with the timing. Why on earth do we observe Tu Bishvat in the winter? One would expect the spring to be a far more suitable time.