Related Blog Posts on Shavuot

Shavuot to Juneteenth: A Journey Toward Liberation

Tali Puterman
Temple Israel is engaged in a REDI culture shift, striving to be a synagogue that exemplifies our belief in b’tzelem Elohim (shared humanity) by creating a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Our New Year’s party came from the idea that while this work can be challenging, it is a joy to lift up the diversity and unique lived experiences of those in our community. Following this theme of celebrating our diversity, we began planning our inaugural Shavuot to Juneteenth: A Journey Toward Liberation.

Favorite Jewish Teachings from Leaders of Color

Yolanda Savage-Narva
In honor of Shavuot and the Giving of the Torah, I have been spending some time reflecting on some of my favorite teachings from Jewish sacred literature, both those that resonate with me, and those that feel most important or most timely.

Make Memorial Day Count in 2021

Rabbi Tracy Kaplowitz, Ph.D.

On Shavuot, the holiday when we celebrate receiving the Torah marks the completion of counting the omer, we are reminded of the historic and nation-altering moment our ancestors experienced in the desert when God revealed God’s self.

A Prayer for Jerusalem

Rabbi Josh Weinberg
Today we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, the anniversary of that fateful day in 1967 when the Israeli paratroopers reached the Western Wall and announced: "הר הבית בידנו" -- “The Temple Mount is in our Hands.” That moment ushered in the the promise for Jews everywhere, after years of dreaming and longing, to come and pray before this sacred space. 

How to Observe Shavuot from Home This Year

C.E. Harrison
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted so much of how we engage Jewishly, but Shavuot is a fantastic holiday for families to celebrate from the safety of their homes. Here are a few ways you and your family can observe this rich, festive Jewish holiday this year.

What We Can Learn from Ruth and Naomi about Mental Health

Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher, L.C.S.W.
Shavuot offers a glimpse at how others in our tradition faced unimaginable and unremitting losses – and were sometimes helped to prevail. There are powerful lessons for us within the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth.

The Black Jews Are Tired

C.E. Harrison

As fulfilling as it was to engage in Shavuot programs, a lot weighs on me. With COVID-19 continuing to ravage Black communities and racist violence all over the news, I almost feel like it’s Yom Kippur instead – the time when Jews are supposed to be most aware of their own mortality.