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The festival of Shavuot.....

The festival of Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Israelite nation in the desert at Mt Sinai. Shavuot is known as “Chag Matan Torah,” the giving of the Torah. In addition, Shavuot takes place exactly seven weeks after the beginning of Pesach, bringing to an end the period of the counting of the Omer. (the source for the name of “Shavuot” or weeks) Shavuot is also the time of the early summer harvest of the first fruits in Israel and is known as “Chag HaBikurim.” The Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot which stresses – among other themes- the value of providing food from the harvest for the less fortunate in society.
It is traditional to prepare dairy delicacies for the holiday meals during Shavuot, some sources say because the Torah provides (spiritual) nourishment to the people of Israel, just as milk does for a child.




Shavuot Sites in Hebrew

http://www.education.gov.il/moe/hagut/shavuot/index./html

http://www.galim.org.il/holidays/shavuot

http://www.chagim.org.il/shavoot1.html

http://www.chagim.org.il/educaton/ivrit/shavuot.index/html

http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/ivrit/shavuot/index.htm

Shavuot Sites in English – About the holiday, its customs, family activities

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/FESTIVLS/Shavuot/index.html

http://www.holidays.net.shavuot
informative site about the Ten Commandments

http://www.aish.com/holidays/shavuot/default.asp

http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/pesach/shavuintro.html

http://shavuot.net/ Chabad site

http://scheinerman.netJudaism/Shavuot/index.html

http://shamash.org./listarchives/jem/jem.00.06 - comprehensive listing of many sites related to the holiday of Shavuot.

http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaysh.htm

http://www.sfjcf.org/jholidays/holidaysinfo/shavuot.shtml/

http://www.wujs.org.il/activist/shavuot/index.shtml

http://www.bjesf.org/MAIN?ECE_Shavuot/Shavuot_home.html

http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/01/may17-01/features/features3.htm
includes foods and recipes for Shavuot

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland?hills?1259/shavlinks.htm
General listing of many Shavuot related links

http://jewishfreeware.org/downloads/shavuot5761.pdf
Shavuot for families

http://www.aish.com/holidays/Shavuot/Shavuot_Family_Parsha.asp
Story and discussion questions for parents and children about Shavuot and the importance of unity.

http://learn.jtsa.edu/shavuot/
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/category.cgi?category=SHAVUOT
Recipes for Shavuot

http://www.bjeny.org/erc_shavuot.asp?dept=Educational%20Resources
Education Resource Center - Shavuot

Shavuot sites especially for children

http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/shavuos.shavuclr.htm
Shavuot coloring pages, crafts activities

http://bjela.ujcfedweb.org/content_display.html. Article ID=41491 , ArticleID =41488, ArticleID=41490
This link contains ideas for Shavuot with kids – a pajama party with ice cream for the kids; “Children’s Book Reviews for Shavuot” E ntertaining and engaging ideas to make the holiday meaningful to young children.

http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/pesach/Shavuot quiz/shquiz/htm.

http://virtualshavuot.com
Informative, entertaining –stones, recipes, study (Lubavitch site)

http://www.mindspring.com/~sara23/kids/holidays.html#Anchor-Shavuot-46919

http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/shavuot/shavuot_activities.asp

http://members.tripod.com/~ProudMommy/holidays.html
Some sites for children with Jewish content - Holiday Fun and Learning

Shavuot & the Magnificent 7's
By: Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

In the beginning... God created 7's.
Oh sure, He created light and dark, the heavens and earth, too. But for reasons unknown to us, He seemed to have a special affinity for the number 7.
The fact that the Torah begins with a verse containing 7 words and 28 letters (divisible by 7) is hardly remarkable. But when placed within the context of the overwhelming number of associations in Judaism with '7', a fascinating tapestry begins to unfurl. Let's take a closer look at this phenomenon…
http://www.aish.com/holidays/shavuot/Shavuot_and_the_Magnificent_7s_p.asp

 


"And the two went on": Ruth as Daughter, Wife and Friend
Eliezer Diamond
If ever I loved a woman I neither saw nor met, it is Ruth, the heroine of the biblical book that bears her name. My love affair with Ruth is a longstanding one and, as in many affairs of the heart, affection preceded comprehension. For the longest time, I could not understand what drew me to her… http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/luminaries/monograph/ruth_diamond.shtml

The Jewish parent page:
• The history and origins of Shavuot
• Teach your children the mitzvoth and ethics of jewish life
• Creating a Jewish home
• A Jewish family's bookshelf
• Family projects for Shavuot
• Recipe corner
• Gathering around the holiday table……
http://uahc.org/educate/parent/pdfdl/0707.pdf

A feminist aspect of "tikun leil savuot"
The biblical text associated with Shavuot is the Book of Ruth, a pastoral romance that uniquely represents the collaborative and redemptive friendship of women …
http://www.ritualwell.org/Rituals/ritual.html?docid=104

Jerusalem

Shavuot is one of the three pilgrim festivals celebrated by the Jewish people who came to Jerusalem during the first and second temple periods. We invite you to join us in "Aliya laregel" – the pilgrimage – to Jerusalem: "Next year in Jerusalem" – Why not now?