Shavuot - The Cheesecake Holiday

 I LOVE Shavuot, and lovingly call it the Cheesecake Holiday. 

Shavuot combines two major religious observances: 

1. the grain harvest of the early summer. 
2. the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt. 

Shavuot is the Hebrew word for “weeks” and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. 

Shavuot is the culmination of the 49-day period known as the Omer, a period of semi-mouring as well as spiritual progression from slavery to revelation. Shavuot is also referred to in the prayer liturgy as z’man matan torateinu, the time of the giving of our Torah.

 

Another significant Shavuot custom is the public reading of the Book of Ruth, the story of a Moabite woman who joins the Jewish people after the death of her husband. There are a number of reasons for this custom, but the most frequently cited is that Ruth’s arrival in Israel occurred around the time of the barley harvest, and her acceptance of Judaism was similar to the Jewish acceptance of the Torah. 

We only eat dairy foods because we did not have the laws of Kashrut until later, after we received the Torah. 

Today, it is a celebration of Torah, education, and actively choosing to participate in Jewish life.

I attended a Women's Circle Group to make cherry no-bake cheesecakes. It was fun! 

Sukkot - High Holidays Continued

Sukkot - High Holidays Continued

Happy & Healthy New Year! 

We celebrated New Year with honey & apples, round challah, brisket and noodle kugel. 

The Shabbat Candleholder was my moms (z'l)

Sweet Noodle kugel (my mom's recipe), brisket, and apples and honey

Celebrate Sukkot

Sukkot is the holiday of celebrating the harvest. It's the last of the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrimage festivals). 

The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and refers to the temporary dwellings that we are commanded to live in during this holiday in memory of the period of wandering. 

• Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. 
• Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif, the Festival of Ingathering. 

Add these Lulav and Etrog earrings to your jewelry collection or purchase them for a friend. They come in Yellow or Blue Czech Glass. 

Sukkot Earrings

Sukkot lasts for seven days. 

For 7 days, we connect with G-d in nature, and we are reminded 

that all that we have comes from G-d.  

Comment on what YOU love about Sukkot

Celebrate Sukkot

Sukkot is the holiday of celebrating the harvest. It's the last of the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrimage festivals). 

The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and refers to the temporary dwellings that we are commanded to live in during this holiday in memory of the period of wandering. 

• Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. 
• Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif, the Festival of Ingathering. 

Add these Lulav and Etrog earrings to your jewelry collection or purchase them for a friend. 

Sukkot Earrings

Sukkot lasts for seven days. 

For 7 days, we connect with G-d in nature, and we are reminded 

that all that we have comes from G-d.  

Comment on what YOU love about Sukkot

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement and is part of the High Holy Days, which ends 9/29/21. This post is in loving memory of my parents, Max and Florence. 

Rosh HaShanah was last week, and we continue to do good deeds, make amends to those we have wronged, and work up to asking G-d for forgiveness. 

On Rosh HaShanah, the Book of Life is opened and G-d chooses whether we live or die. On Yom Kippur, the Book of Life is sealed. 

We approach G-d after we have talked to our friends and families, apologizing for any wrongs we may have done, intentionally or unintentionally. As the Talmud teaches, “Yom Kippur does not forgive transgressions between humain beings — until (or unless) s/he seeks forgiveness from him/her (directly).” 

Summary

Yom Kippur begins BEFORE sundown and starts with a prayer known as "Kol Nidre" meaning all vows). These are the first words of a special legal formula that is recited at the beginning of this service and is chanted three times. 

On Yom Kippur, we repent for our sins as a community, and declare that any vows we have made are null and void. 

The way to be forgiven is by doing teshuvah (acts of repentance), good deeds, and pledging charity. These are some of my favorite prayers in the liturgy. 

Customs

• Buy something new for Rosh HaShanah and/or Yom Kippur (Did 
• Wear white for Yom Kippur
• We wear white, a symbol of purity, to be like the angels
• The ark curtains and Torah covers are changed to white in shul

Hamsa Earrings with rhinestones

• We fast* and pray for 25 hours, from Yom Kippur Eve to after sundown on Yom Kippur Day. If you are unable to fast for health reasons, don't fast.
• Also, we abstain from work, entertainment, etc. It's the holiest day of the year. 

Services

• Memorial Service - Yizkor - it is one of the days when we recite prayers for our loved ones who have passed on. It is appropriate to make a donation in their names. Normally, these services are around noon. 
• Closing Services - take place right before sundown to give us a last chance for forgiveness. 
• Break-the-fast - join your Jewish community to break the fast and celebrate life! 

White pearl kippah

My Experience

I find the entire spiritual and religious experience of High Holy Days to be very cleansing and uplifting, but it IS hard work. I get to start the New Year with a clean slate, and it's refreshing. 

Seeing the the changes in shul to the white Torah covers and the Rabbis wearing white were magical, until I joined the ritual committee and was the one who climbed in the ark to change the curtains and helped others change the prayerbooks (lol). 

As a teenager, I went to services for Yom Kippur with my dad, and we would come home for a nap. My mom met us at the synagogue later for the closing prayers. 

I was brought up Orthodox and my dad (z'l) switched to Conservative services so I could join him. To me, there's something beautiful and special about having a connection with G-d.  

What are YOUR special memories or customers for Yom Kippur or the High Holy Days? 

Yom Kippur Greetings

“G’mar chatima tovah” (a good final sealing.)

"G'mar tov" (short form for wish you are sealed in the Book of Life)

"May you be sealed in the Book of Life"

"Have an easy fast" 

I hope we all are sealed in the Book of Life. 

5 Secrets You Need to Know about the Jewish Holiday Shavuot

Shavuot is the Hebrew word for “weeks” and refers to the Jewish festival marking the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which occurs seven weeks after Passover. 

Shavuot combines two major religious observances: 

1. the grain harvest of the early summer. 
2. the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt. 

Today, it is a celebration of Torah, education, and actively choosing to participate in Jewish life. 

Torah Charm Bracelet

Tikkun Leil Shavuot

Many people stay up all night studying Torah. When the Israelites were at Sinai, they overslept and had to be awakened by Moses. 

Tikkun Leil Shavuot, means “Rectification for Shavuot Night” It was developed by 16th century mystics in Safed, who believed that by studying on Shavuot, they were symbolically preparing Israel to enter into a sacred relationship with God.

At Home

It is customary to decorate ones home with greens and fresh flowers on Shavuot as a reminder of the spring harvest and the ancient ritual of bringing the first fruits to the Temple. 

Dairy Food = Cheesecake

It also is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot because Jewish tradition compares the words of Torah to the sweetness of milk and honey. Blintzes and cheesecake are among the popular foods to make and enjoy for the holiday. There are more reasons for eating dairy foods.  

Shabbat Charm Bracelet

In the Congregation

Traditionally, the Book of Ruth is read during services on Shavuot. Ruth is a young Moabite woman who married an Israelite man. When her husband died, she followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Israel and adopted the Jewish faith and people as her own.  

Ruth is often considered to be the archetype of all who “choose” or convert to Judaism—accepting the Torah, just as Jews accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai—and this passage traditionally has been understood as her conversion statement.

Ruth 1:16–17, states: “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. Thus and more may God do to me if anything but death parts me from you.” 

Linda B