Have you ever taken a personality test?

I’ve done my fair share of them, some of them surprisingly accurate (just ask my Lab/Shul teammates!). The question I often ask myself afterwards is — now that I know this about myself, what do I DO with the information? How might this help me to live better, to connect to others better, to grow?  

Here’s a hidden secret in plain sight: the Jewish tradition offers one of the most insightful personality tests. Every year, on the full moon of Shvat (Tu B’Shvat), the cosmic birthday of the trees, we celebrate their fruits. This beautiful—and tasty—ritual invites us to reflect on ourselves through the lens of four types of fruit. Which fruit best describes you?

Fun to think about, right?

And at different times in our lives, we may be different fruits. In joyous times — do your choices change? In tough times, perhaps like the ones we are experiencing currently, this ancient test may give us something to help acknowledge our feelings. All the more so when experiencing painful losses or grief. These tools might help us to be in touch with our grief journey and how we are navigating it.

And that’s what we will explore on the full moon eve of February 12th during ReCollect, online and in person. We will use these nourishing tools to share stories and be present for and with each other in grief. Our seasonal ReCollect/Yizkor gathering is open to anyone who experienced the loss of a loved one, recently or a long time ago.

Whatever kind of fruit you’re feeling these days — remember, at Lab/Shul, your deliciousness is welcome here.

With love and sweetness,
Naomi Less
Co-Founder, Ritual Leader, Associate Director, and B Mitzvah Education and Ritual Director