spirituality
Celebrate The Spring:
Chag Shavuot Sameach!
Seven ways to celebrate a meaningful Shavuot.
I
Maayan Jaffe
JNS.org
A
t sundown on Saturday, May 23,
Jews around the world will start
the two-day holiday (which lasts
only one day in Israel) of Shavuot. Also
known as the Festival of Weeks because it
marks the completion of the counting of
the Omer period — which is 49 days long,
or seven weeks of seven days — Shavuot
is one of the Jewish calendar's shalosh
regalim pilgrimage holidays.
Unlike the other two pilgrimage festivals
— Passover, which is marked through the
retelling of the Exodus story at the seder,
and Sukkot, which is celebrated by build-
ing a but or sukkah outside one's home
— there is no definitive ritual associated
with Shavuot in the text of the Torah. As
such, many Jews struggle to connect with
the holiday, which has yet another name:
"Chag HaKatsir," meaning the Harvest
Festival.
But despite its undefined nature,
Shavuot "is a gift of a holiday:' says
Roberta Miller, a teacher at Chicago Land
Jewish Day School in Chicago.
"It's when we got the Ten
Commandments, God's greatest present to
the Jewish people she says.
In that spirit, here are seven ways to
infuse some meaning and minhag (tradi-
tion) into your Shavuot this year:
1. Food
It is traditional on Shavuot to eat dairy
foods. Rabbi Robyn Frisch, director of
InterfaithFamily/Philadelphia, says some
believe this is because the scripture com-
pares Torah to "honey and milk... under
your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11). Another
explanation is that when the Israelites
received the Torah for the first time, they
learned the kosher dietary laws and didn't
immediately have time to prepare kosher
meat, so they ate dairy instead.
Baking and consuming dairy foods can
differentiate Shavuot from other holidays,
Miller says.
"We all have very strong memories
associated with scent. If I smell a honey
cake, I think of my grandmother and Rosh
Hashanah. The smell of cheesecake gener-
ates a connection to Shavuot for my kids:'
she says.
Miller also suggests ice cream cake. In
114 May 21 • 2015
her family, Shavuot marks
the first ice cream cake
of the season, and that
knowledge builds anticipa-
tion for the holiday. Just
as no one in her house
is allowed to eat matzah
until the seder, she says,
no one gets ice cream cake
until the first night of
Shavuot.
sources that can be used to organize a
grassroots evening of learning at an indi-
vidual's home.
"Jewish learning doesn't have to be
Biblical texts. ... Torah is more than the
Five Books of Moses. It could be liberal
values or social justice or just a discus-
sion about Jewish identity or Jewish laws:'
Frisch says.
5. King David birthday party
2. Games
For families with young
children, games are a
great way to educate youth
about the messages of
Shavuot. Miller suggests
counting games.
"You can count up to
49 of anything: 49 ways
Mommy loves you, 49
things you are grateful foe
she says.
For slightly older chil-
dren, Miller offers a Jewish
commandments version of
Pictionary, in which before
the holiday children draw
their favorite command-
ment or commandments
on a notecard. The cards
are mixed up and put into
a box or bag. Then, the
family gets together, mem-
bers draw picture cards
and someone acts out
each commandment while
participants guess which
commandment it is and
why it is important.
An illustration of the Shavuot holiday
Cheese blintzes are a
traditional food for the
holiday.
3. Guests
On the second day of Shavuot, we read
the Book of Ruth, the story of the first
Jew by choice. Frisch explains that it is
also a story of welcoming the stranger and
inclusivity. Shavuot is the perfect holiday
for inviting new friends over for a meal, or
for opening one's home to people who are
interested in learning more about Jewish
traditions, Frisch says.
4. Jewish learning
Taking part in a tikkun leil Shavuot — a
night of Jewish learning — is another
Shavuot custom. Many traditional Jews
stay up all night on the first night of the
holiday to study Torah. Today, many non-
observant Jews aren't affiliated with a par-
ticular synagogue. As such, Frisch suggests
hosting a communal night of learning (not
affiliated with any particular religious sect
or institution) that can draw in a more
diverse mix of Jewish learners.
"Jewish learning is being reclaimed:'
Frisch says, adding that it is necessary for
that learning to be accessible.
For people who live in smaller commu-
nities without a formal Shavuot learning
event, Frisch says there are multiple online
Tradition has it that King David, Ruth's (as
in the Book of Ruth) great-grandson, was
born and died on Shavuot. Miller suggests
holding a King David birthday party —
featuring decorations, cake, ice cream and
gifts.
"Use it as a learning tool:' she says, not-
ing how the party can springboard into
a historical discussion. "What would you
write on a card to [King David]? What do
you want to ask him? What would he want
for a present? What would he put in the
goody bag that he gives to each of us?"
6. Nature
On Shavuot, it is customary to decorate
our homes and synagogues with flowers
and plants. Ruthie Kaplan, who lives in the
Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem and
is a former Hebrew school teacher, says
that following this tradition of surround-
ing ourselves with the lushness of the
natural world could "add a lot of beauty to
the day."
Shavuot comes in the late spring or early
summer, when the weather is perfect and
the flowers are blossoming. Kaplan says
that is "the perfect time" to connect with
nature and appreciate the beauty of the
world that God created for us.
7. Setting goals/reflections
Kaplan says that a deeper reading of the
Book of Ruth can transform Shavuot
from simply another Jewish holiday into
an opportunity to set goals and resolu-
tions. Ruth, she says, believed in something
(Judaism) and followed through on her
belief.
"That story of Ruth excites me and
really comes to life on Shavuot," says
Kaplan. "Ruth is open to the truth and
therefore she sees it and she is willing
to be honest with herself. For anyone
searching and struggling, Ruth is a good
role model for life."
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