Nava Nedaber Ivrit: Celebrating A First Shavuot In Israel Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Hebrew lesson entitled, "Hava Nedaber Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose aim is to encourage further study of Hebrew. The lesson will include a brief story utilizing the Hebrew words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English translations and a family activitiy which involves using the new words. The lessons will be prepared by Nira Lev, associate professor of Hebrew language and literature at the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. Following is this month's lesson: Rachel is very excited hayom because machar is Shavuot and she is going to celebrate her first chag in Yisrael. Rachel and her mishpachah came to Yisrael just a few weeks ago as olim chadasheem from Russia, where they never celebrated this chag. Rachel was curious and eager to learn everything she could learn about Shavuot, so that she can teach her mishpachah about it. Shavuot is known hayom as "Chag Matan Torah," the time when the Torah was given on Har Sinai. "Matan Torah" marked the end of Israel's childhood and the beginning of their life as an am, living by the law and accepting God's commandment. It is like a Yom Hooledet for our am. The Bible calls this chag "Chag Hashavuot" because it is celebrated seven Shavuot after Pesach, the time of the offering of the omer. Shavuot is celebrated on the sixth of Sivan and is one of the "Shalosh Regaleem," the three pilgrim festivals. Like other Jewish chageem, it is not only a religious and historical chag, but it is also related to nature, to agriculture. Shavuot is called in the Bible "Chag Hakatzir,"the Festival of the Harvest, and also "Yom Habikkureem," the day of the first fruit because it marked the season of the wheat harvest and it was on this day that the first perot were offered at Beit Hamikdash as an expression of gratitude to God. In Yisrael, Shavuot is a joyous chag, marking the beginning of the new season, kayitz, and celebrated with special chagigot in every Beit Sefer. The children wear b'gadeem I'vaneem like the kohaneem in Belt Hamikdash, with zereem made of fresh p'racheem on their heads. They bring saleem full of perot to school which are later distributed to the poor. There is a minhag to read, "Megillat Ruth," in Beit Haknesset. This is the story of Ruth the Moabite who accepted God and the Torah and joined the Jewish people. Ruth is believed to be the great-grandmother of King David. Megillat Ruth also gives an account of the katzir of the grain and the treatment of the poor in the time of the katzir. In Yisrael, "Megillat Ruth" is read from a proper megillah, a written parchment scroll. Another minhag is to eat only dairy foods on Shavuot. Shavuot is another chag that shows us how Am Yisrael, the Torah and Eretz Yisrael are one and indivisible. x Vocabulary hayom today tomorrow machar chag holiday chagim holidays Yisrael Israel mishpachah family olim immigrants to Israel chadasheem new olim chadasheem new immigrants har mountain am nation Yom Hooledet birthday Shavuot weeks shavuah week omer the yield of a sheaf of the first fruits which was cut in the field and offered to the priest or the Temple on the second day of Passover katzir harvest bikkureem first fruit yom day perot fruit (pl.)pree a fruit Beit Hamikdash The Temple kayitz summer celebrations chagigot celebration chagigah school Beit Sefer clothes b'gadeem white I'vaneem kohaneem priests kohen priest zereem wreaths, garlands zer wreath, garland p'racheem flowers perach flower saleem baskets sal basket minhag custom megillah a written parchment scroll Beit Haknesset synagogue eretz land, country Family Activity Ruth is one of the outstanding women described in the Bible. Read about her and about other women. Learn about Deborah, Yael, Abigail, Esther and Michal. Decorate your home with green branches and flowers as it is the custom in Israeli schools. Mew ket 403 ti l c er Bamidbar And Shavuot TOYS AND GAMES Hebrew Scrabble and Noah's Ark, available at Spitzer's. The Sidra Bamidbar deals with the first "official" census of the Israelites since receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Through this "numbering," we understand the organization and structure of the shevatim (the 12 tribes), each On S havuot we commemorate the giving of the Torah. shevet under its own banner and in its assigned place. The special roles of the Levites and Kohanim during the journey in the midbar (desert) are also detailed. — What was the purpose of the census? — Why were the Kohanim and Levites so concerned with keeping the Mishkan (portable Holy Ark) covered while it was carried through the desert? Shavuot, the "Feast of Weeks," is so named because it occurs seven weeks after the second day of Passover. On Shavuot we commemorate the greatest event in Jewish history, the giving of the Torah. — Why are there no special Shavuot rituals as there are on the other festivals? — Why is The Book of Ruth read on Shavuot? —Submitted by Barry V Levine, Principal, General Studies, Akiva, and Director of Education and Youth, Beth Abraham Hillel Moses Religious School AUDIO CASSETTES Jewish Cooking, available at Spitzer's. BOOKS Torah Profile, ArtScroll Book of Ruth, Best of Olo- meinu, The Accused II, Lovesong, Tevyah The Dairyman, My Sister's Wedding, Who Wrote the Bible?, The Yellow Wind, all at Spitzer's. Raising Children to Care, Miriam Adahan; Milton Goldsmith's The Rabbi and the Priest, retold by Y.B. Arrarat; Me'am Lo'ez for Youth-Ruth, adapted by Malka Touger; The Complete Jewish Wedding Planner, Wendy Chernak Hefter; Shidduchim and Zivuyim — The Torah's Perspective on Choosing Your Mate, Rabbi Yehudah Lebovits; The Birds of Israel, Uzi Paz; Sefer Hamitzvot Vols. 1 and 2, Malka Touger; all at Borenstein's. AUDIO CASSETTES Jackie Mason, The World According to Me, at Spitzer's. The Joy of Torah, Chaim Banet; L'Chayim, Dan- ny Baruch and Arie Broner; Simcha Simcha, Paul Zim; Sing Along ► With the Gevatron; Israel's Greatest Songs, various artists; A Gift From Israel, various artists; all at Borenstein's. Spitzer's is located at 21770 W. 11 Mile, Southfield. Borenstein's is located at 25242 Greenfield, Oak Park. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS L-7