Maxine Bernstein, President

Peter Gordenstein

Rhonda Goldberg

Iris Linson

Debbie Peskin

Caryn Resnick

Carol Wernick

the office staff of Temple Beth El

 

 

Greeters/Volunteers for the Event

Jill Goldstein

Patti Goldstein

Marianne Kornblum

Debbie Lieberman

 

 

Shavout falls seven weeks after Passover at the end of the counting of the Omer (49 days.)

The holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai as well as the grain harvest for summer. On each of the 7 major donation category pages in this journal, the background design illustrates these items:

pomegranates, olives, figs, dates, wheat, barley, rye, and grapes. 

Today, we celebrate Shovout by hearing the 10 Commandments, having festive dairy meals, staying up all night to learn, and reading the Book of Ruth.

Dairy meals are customary for a few reasons: The Jewish people were in the desert and were promised the land of  "milk and honey." Also, the laws of Kashrut were handed down at this time and when the Torah was given on Shabbat, they were not able to kasher their pots to prepare meat. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai- the Hebrew word for dairy is "chalav" renumerated as 40.

We stay up all night to learn Torah because the day that it was supposed to be given, the Israelites overslept. 

Ruth is probably the most famous convert in all of Jewish history (think Purim.) Ruth's story relates to the Jewish people, who wanted to be given the Torah and became servants of G-d.

Enjoy this wonderful tribute to Reverend David Aminia on such a monumental date.