Here Comes Shavuot, a Holiday to Celebrate with Study and Cheesecake

Shavuot is the most important Jewish holiday most people have never heard of. One of the three pilgrimage festivals, it doesn't get the attention given to Passover and Sukkot. But it does celebrate the giving and receiving of the Torah. So where are all the songs, jokes, comedy skits and music videos that we share on the other holidays?

They're mostly not there with a few exceptions, including one of our favorites, Mel Brooks as Moses showing us why we have only ten commandments and not fifteen.

From all night lectures and study sessions to mountains of cheese and cheesecake, from Jewish film screenings, decorating our homes with greenery, reading the Book of Ruth, and yoga at dawn, Shavuot finds incredible ways to celebrate receiving the Torah.

Here's a concise and entertaining explanation with everything you wanted to know about Shavuot but were afraid to ask. It's by BimBam (formerly G-dcast), a nonprofit new media company whose goal is to make Jewish literacy accessible to everyone interested learning, and to create positive attitudes about Jewish values and behaviors.

[Speaking of Mel Brooks'  extra five commandments, all-night study sessions, cheesecake, and Jewish humor, here's a fun way to tie them all together. 

This morning after posting our Shavuot post we received an email from Nino Loss, a foodnik blogger in Vienna, building on the Brooks shtick. It includes a link to his post -- a treatise on cheesecake's origins, interpretations of the "lost five commandments" and a connection between them and the graham cracker crumbs that are part of most cheesecakes. We think it's fitting to take a break from serious study to read and discuss Nino's observations and theories while we consume the traditional high-calorie treat that fuels the night of learning.]

The Shavuot holiday will be celebrated in Israel for one day, tomorrow, and in the rest of the world for two days, tomorrow and Thursday. We'll be celebrating with family both days, and we'll be back with our usual mix on Friday.

Enjoy, and Chag Sameach!

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