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Remembering the Lessons of Two Different Ruths
Every year as Shavuot approaches, I think about my mother. That’s because her name was Ruth -- just like the book we Jews read on Shavuot.
Choosing Judaism: Why One Grandmother Made a Public Commitment
Last fall’s tragedy in Pittsburgh finally prompted Linda North, now known as Ruth bat Avraham v’Sarah, to set a date for her conversion to Judaism.
When Your Child Teaches You About Revelation
Life can strip our ability to stand in awe. When the rent is due, the refrigerator is bare, relationships run us ragged, we struggle to find space for the extraordinary.
Shavuot Reexamined: How Can We Elevate the Holiday?
How can we reexamine this often-underlooked festival and apply it to our lives as Reform Jews? In this interview, Rabbi Matt Green of Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) in Brooklyn, N.Y., talks a bit about what Shavuot means to him and how we, as Reform Jews, can apply it to our lives.
Galilee Diary: Galilee encounters
Three encounters from a day with 50 students from HUC, spending their first year in Israel before beginning their studies at the stateside campuses.
Tu BiSh’vat: Resources
In a few weeks we will be celebrating Tu BiSh’vat. There are numerous approaches you could take in planning your celebration.
Shavuot History
Shavuot, known as the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, is reflected in the Bible, which recounts how, after the Exodus from Egypt, the Children of Israel proceeded to Mount Sinai in the desert.
Shavuot Customs and Rituals
Shavuot, like several other Jewish holidays, began as an agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. In ancient times, Shavuot was a pilgrimage festival during which Israelites brought offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem – the “first fruits” of their harvest.
Tu BiShvat Treat Tree
Too cold to plant a tree outside? This tree can be the centerpiece at your Tu BiShvat party. Most materials can be found at your local craft shop (and, of course, a quick stop at your local candy store!)