By Yehudit Garmaise

Orange trees perched high above the dining room tables, platters of exotic fruits, and Meilech Braunstein singing, “Ilan, Ilan,” made up the exciting scene that greeted 120 residents on Monday at 2:30pm: when Tu B’Shvat celebrations were in full force at Boro Park Center (BPC).

To celebrate the new year for the trees, BPC’s Recreation Director Raizy Pavlov decorated each table with high centerpieces that were made of beautiful plants into which she stuck real oranges on skewers to resemble Eretz Yisrael’s earliest-blooming trees to emerge from their winter sleep.

Just as we celebrate as our trees begin again to bear fruit, Braunstein sang, played guitar and danced, as BPC’s residents smiled, clapped, and danced.

After Braunstein’s beautiful concert, Rabbi Fischel Schachter inspired residents by speaking about the significance of the day and by making brachos on the wide array of fruits.

“It was so beautiful,” Raizy reported. “The residents loved it. They came in, the room was decorated with hand-made trees.

“On the tables were every single type of fruit under the sun: exotic fruits, regular fruits, melons, and dried fruits. It was incredible.”

While noshing on fruit, enjoying the programming and each other’s company until 4pm, the residents said that so appreciated that they didn’t feel deprived on Tu B’Shvat because they are in a rehab center.

While they were grateful to feel at home,” what the residents loved the most was that their Tu B’Shvat Party was “so fun and festive.”