THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Significance of Shavuot
lb
The festival of Shavuot first fruits is placed in jux-
takes its name from the taposition to a law concern-
Hebrew for "weeks," ing milk (Ex. 23:19).
In some communities it is
"Pentecost" and also "the
50th day." It is celebrated customary to eat triangular
on the 6th of Sivan (which pancakes stuffed with meat
this year falls on May 16). or cheese because the Torah
According to Orthodox and is of three parts (Penta-
Conservative tradition, it is teuch, Prophets, and Hagio-
also celebrated on 7 Sivan grapha) and was given to a
(May 17, this year) outside people of three parts
(priests, Levites, and Israe-
of Israel.
One of the three so-called lites) on the third month
through Moses who was the
"pilgrim festivals," Shavuot
marked the end of the bar- third child of his parents.
In Israel, modern social
-ley and the beginning of the
life has stimulated the ad-
- wheat harvest.
According to the Encyclo- aptation of religious cere-
paedia Judaica, it was prob- monies to a secular society
ably a midsummer festival which wants to keep the tra-
in origin and taken over ditional national folkways.
from the Canaanites. It is This is evident, for example,
stated in Leviticus: "From in the Bar Mitzva cere-
the day after the Sabbath, mony whose religious sig-
the day that you bring the nificance in a secular so-
sheaf of wave-offering you ciety is reduced but not
shall count 50 days, until eliminated.
Under the initial impetus
the day after the seventh
week; then you shall bring of the Reform movement,
an offering of anew grain to the individual ceremony has
the Lord." Leviticus also been substituted by a collec-
states that the sheaf was tive "confirmation" cere-
waved on the day after the mony similar to that of the
Sabbath on the festival of Christian rite. This takes
Passover. Thus Shavuot place at the- Shavuot festi-
val, chosen because the tra-
falls 50 days after this day.
In rabbinic times a re- ditional date of the giving of
markable transformation the law on Mount Sinai, it
of the festival took place. seems the proper season for
Based on the verse: "In adolescent boys and girls to
the third month after the celebrate their initiation
children of Israel were into full Jewish adulthood.
gone forth out of the land As the Shavuot festival coin-
of Egypt, the same day cides with the end of the
came they into the wilder- school year the ceremony, at
ness of Sinai" --(Ex. 19:1), times, bears the character
the festival became the of a graduation.
anniversary of the giving
In Israel the collective
of the Torah at Sinai. The
description of the feast in Bar Mitzva has been intro-
the liturty is the time of duced in non-religious ki-
butzim. The ceremony
the giving of the Torah.
It is customary to adorn takes place after the chil-
the synagogue with plants dren have performed some
and floWers on Shavuot be- 'task, usually soelo-educa-
cause, tradition has it, Sinai tional,_ which was imposed
was a green mountain, and upon each individual child
with trees, because Shavuot (or pair) by the commu-
is judgment day for the nity, school, or youth
fruit of the tree. Some au- movement.
thorities, states the -Ency-
The Bar Mitzva child then
clopaedia Judaica, disap- - has to write a composition
proved of the custom on his experiences. He fur-
because of its similarity to ther relates his adventures
certain church rites.
during the performance of
It is a home custom to eat the task at the "confir-
dairy products on Shavuot mation" and the lessons de-
because the Torah is com- rived therefrom are dis-
pared to milk (Songs 4:11) - cussed by the whole
and because the law of the assembly.
-
CJFWF Institute Has Project Guide
NEW YORK — The Insti-
tute for Jewish Life will
provide communities with a
series of manuals defining
major program models de-
veloped in other cities, for
more widespread use and
benefits.
Jerold C. Hoff Berger,
chairman of the institute's
board of directors, who an-
nounced the beginning of it
new community program
service, said many creative
programs in a variety of
fields of common interest
are being developed and
implemented locally. The
community program service
will enable all communities
to share and apply these
innovations.
The first manual, to be
distributed in early sum-
mer, will deal with Jewish
family life education as a
priority concern in many
cities. The manual is being
developed jointly with
other agencies working in
this field.
Other manuals, to follow
regularly, will focus on sup-
port programs for Jewish
family life, leadership devel-
opment, and use of oral his-
tory techniques on Jewish
life. The latter has special
timeliness with regard to
the American Bicentennial.
Housing Privileges
for Single Olim
JERUSALEM (ZINS) —
Hoping to encourage the
emigration to. Israel of sin-
gle men and women, the
Jewish Agency will now
provide housing for unmar-
ried olim.
In the past only married
couples were awarded hous-
ing, but now the privilege
will be extended to single
people for a period of up to
five years.
UAHC Calls for Moratorium
Proximity
on Military Aid to Vietnam
NEW YORK — The Com-
mission on Social Action of
Reform Judaism — a long-
time critic of American
Vietnam policies — has
called for a moratorium on
military aid, but at the
same time proposed the
creation of a massive billion
dollar American assistance
program to help rebuild the
"ravaged" countries of
South Vietnam, Cambodia
and Laos.
The commission, a major
policy-making body for 1.1
million Reform Jews in the
U.S. and Canada, represents
both the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations and
the Central Conference of
American Rabbis. The
statement recommended
that the Ford Administra-
tion_ adopt a proposal simi-
lar to the one once advo-
cated by the late President
Lyndon Johnson.
In discussing the pro-
posed Asian-style Marshall
Plan, Albert Arent of Wash-
ington, D.C., commission
chairman, stressed that
America has both "a moral
and humanitarian responsi-
bility to rebuild those na-
tions whose destruction we
contributed to with our vast
military involvement and
bombings."
The statement read in
part:
"Throughout a long,
divisive involvement of the
United States in war in
Vietnam, the Commission
on Social Action has con-
sistently opposed the con-
tinuation of that conflict
and its attendant destruc-
tion.
"Now, in reviewing Presi-
dent Ford's appeal to the
Congress of the United
States for some $722 million
for additional military aid
and $225 million of aid for
refugees, rehabilitation and
reconstruction, we continue
to be firmly opposed to fur-
ther military aid for South
Vietnam. However, we
strongly urge the Congress
promptly to grant, with
maximum concern for the
people and land of Vietnam,
the necessary funds to help
rebuild - that devastated
country • "
,
Friday, April 25,- 1975 11
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