7:30 p.m. Shavuot/Confirmation Service
9:45 p.m. Tikkun Leil Shavuot
Join us for Torah Study on the Festival of Shavuot
Shabbat: A Revolutionary Idea in Thought and Action
9:45 pm Multiple Teachings Sessions by Congregants
TRACK ONE – FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE PRACTICAL
Quiet, Please! A mystical teaching about observing Shabbat – Jonathan Eisenthal
See how the mystics of the Zohar improbably connect the proper quietness of Shabbat to the moment that the people were under attack by Pharaoh’s chariots at the edge of the sea. We will study how, in Jewish sacred literature and tradition, silence is seen as a powerful means to praise God, and how refraining from mundane speech on Shabbat unlocks the rewards of heaven.
How and why I love Shabbat! – Sue Lund
A tale of joy and intrigue going from a childhood of not observing Shabbat in any way to today when it is a highlight of my week. We will discuss tips and look at practical ideas in a “Shabbat deck of cards.”
TRACK TWO – FROM THE PRACTICAL TO THE SUBLIME
Why do we do that? Shabbat rituals and their backstories/meanings. – Amy Ariel
(Please bring your copy of A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home if you have it; we’ll supply it if you don’t.)
From setting the Shabbat mood to separating the holy moments of Shabbat from the ordinariness of the new week, we will explore some of the hows and whys of our palace in time.
10:45 pm Ice Cream break!
11:00 pm Rabbi Spilker teaches:
One Word and One Rabbi’s Lifelong Wrestling on its Meaning.
What does the Hebrew word “ach” mean in Exodus 31:13? It is often translated as “nevertheless” and it introduces the idea of Shabbat to the Israelites in the midst of building the mishkan/tabernacle. The 19th century rabbi known as the Sfat Emet wrote about the meaning of this word over his entire lifetime. His reflections show how much Shabbat became even more revolutionary for him as he got older.
11:45 p.m. Rabbi Adler brings us a Shavuot ritual standing together on the Mount Zion Bima.
