As we celebrate ט”ו בִּשְׁבָט /too bee-sh-’vat/, the Jewish New Year of the Trees, the עֵץ שָׁקֵד /ets sha-’ked/ (almond tree) holds special significance.
Poet Levin Kipnis coined שְׁקֵדִיָּה /sh-ke-dee-’yah/ for the almond tree in his 1919 poem, and the beloved song “הַשְּׁקֵדִיָּה פּוֹרַחַת” (“The Almond Tree is Blooming”) cemented its connection to ט”ו בשבט.
The almond tree, first to bloom after winter, symbolizes renewal and effort—rooted in ש.ק.ד., meaning dedication, as in לִשְׁקֹד /leesh-’kod/ (to study hard). Its name also appears in Israeli first and last names.
Regions like Galilee, Carmel, Samaria, and Judea are known for almond orchards, and today, all but cultivated varieties are protected in Israel.
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