Shavuot

ORIGINALLY AN ANCIENT HARVEST FESTIVAL celebrating the grain crop, Shavuot means "weeks" in Hebrew. It is the holiday is celebrated seven weeks after Passover begins. Shavuot is also recognized as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai and most Shavuot celebrations are centered on Torah study and other Jewish learning. On the first night of the holiday many people stay up all night studying Jewish texts.

There is a custom of eating dairy foods--especially cheesecakes and blintzes--on Shavuot. The reason for this tradition is not entirely clear, but one popular explanation is that immediately after the Israelites received the Torah and learned about the laws of keeping kosher, it was too complicated for them to begin butchering and preparing fresh kosher meat. So they stuck with eating dairy--and now we do the same on Shavuot to commemorate this.

Holiday descriptions provided by Kveller.com.

Shavuot PJ Library Books

Here is a list of Shavuot-related books sent out by PJ Library either this year or in the past.

Review All the Shavuot-Related Books

Shavuot Activities & Recipes

Here are several resources for hands-on holiday preparations.

• "Shavuot"
  This holiday round-up from Kveller.com includes everything from activities and recipes to histories and parent viewpoints.
  
  
• "Shavuot Values for Preschoolers"
  Also from Kveller.com, writer Lisa Samick suggests teaching children about Ruth & Boaz and the values of charity, friendship, and kindness.
  
  
• "Moses on Mount Sinai"
  From our partners at Shalom Sesame, this video depitcs Grover and his friends from Rechov Sumsum in an animated version of the story of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
  
  
• "How the Jewish People Received the Torah"
  From Chabad.org Kids, this animated video, and the supporting educational materials available on its page, explores the story of Shavuot.
  
  
• "Camp Out or Camp In for Shavuot"
  With a list of fun activities, MyJewish Learning.org helps make the holiday a kid-friendly experience.
  
  
• "Raising a Mentsch"
  Thinking about the Ten Commandments and what it means to be a good person? This piece from Kveller.com writer Sharon D. Estroff offers parents direction in raising good people.
  
  
• "How to Talk to Your Kids about God"
  In this MyJewish Learning.org piece, Rabbi David Wolpe offers parents guidiance in responding to questions about God.

Shavuot-Related Parenting Blog Posts

Here are a handful of Shavuot-related parenting gems posted by Jewish bloggers.

• "The 614th Commandment"
  This gem is found on Rabbi Ilana's blog, "Parent's Torah." Here, she reminds us to enjoy the gift of today.
  
  
• "Shavuot: Edible Mount Sinai"
  With a Mount Sinai Muffin, two Jordan almond Tablets, coconut grass, Twizzler slice flowers, and a few Lego Israelites, the BibleBeltBalabusta shows us how to make a kid-friendly Shavuot scene.
  
  
• "You Really Can Make An Impressive Shavuos Cake!"
  The CreativeJewishMom returns with another crafty (and tasty!) holiday how-to.
  
  
• "Shavuot Crafts"
  The blog, Matzo Ball Soup, has small, but growing collection of fun holiday activities for children. Check out "How to Make a Newspaper Basket (Teneh) for Shavuot."
  
  
• "Tissue Paper Flowers for Shavuot"
  From blogger, Upper Westside Mom, here are step-by-step craft directions for a kid-friendly, decorative holiday bouquet.

(Trans) Denominational Resources

Check out the Shavuot-related resources provided by these Jewish organizations and movements:

InterfaithFamily.com

Jewish Outreach Institute

Society for Humanistic Judaism

Union for Reform Judaism

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Orthodox Union

Chabad