The festival of Shavuot celebrates God giving the Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. The Jewish people celebrate this time by staying up all night studying Torah and praying early in the morning. This year, when we cannot be physically together, there are a number of great resources for joining a digital Tikkun (there are options for tuning in during Shavuot, or if you are tech-free on the holiday before or after). Also, we are including some great resources for running your own Tikkun. After you study with your Beth Shalom community – check out these great resources.
Interested in learning with communities from around the country (and the world)? During this time of pandemic, learning opportunities have opened up for all who wish to attend. Below are some of the best available.
Torah from Coast to Coast
The Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly has an all-night digital Tikkun on Thursday, May 28th beginning at 8:00 pm CDT. Click here for schedule and links. For a tech-free holiday, there are also videos to watch before or after the festival and downloadable study.
Shavuot Study: The Torah the World Needs to Hear
90 Minute Video from Sinai Temple in Los Angeles
Premieres May 28, 2020 9:30 pm Central Time. (Also available after the holiday). Find it here.
Reveal-a-Thon from Lab/Shul in New York
24 Hour festival of arts and learning with national luminaries of art and culture. Lab/Shul is an artistically revolutionary spiritual community in NYC.
After Shavuot. Saturday and Sunday May 30-31, 2020. Register here.
Dawn: An All Night Cultural Arts Festival Celebrating the Jewish Holiday Shavuot
Produced by Reboot and the Jewish Emergent Network. This takes innovative communities from around the country for a star-studded lineup all night long. Click here for information and registration.
Pre-Shavuot Tikkun from the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem
A series of lectures from the Conservative Movement’s home in Jerusalem. Lectures available now. Also, post-Shavuot learning available. Click here to discover!
Stay the Night (at Home) from the JCC of Manhattan
The JCC of Manhattan in New York has had an all night learning festival for the last number of years. This year, it is all digital – with options for those who do and do not use technology on Shabbat. Click herefor information and registration.
Never has there been a better time to turn your own home into a house of study! Learning with your family around the dining room table, or having a social-distance driveway study-session could never be easier. Below are some of the best resources available for every age and life-stage.
For Families with Elementary and Middle School Children
BimBam is an incredible Jewish media and education organization. It is has created a whole page for Shavuot with a series of videos and activities for families with children.
For Teens and Older
“What we can Learn from God about Zoom: The Torah of Smiling” article in Shavuot Packet from the HadarInstitute 5780/2020.
“Love for All” by Prof. Judith Hauptman from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
“Ruth: An Immigration Story,” compiled by Rabbi Sharon Cohen Ainsfeld and Rabbi Lev MeirowitzNelson for T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
An interactive Lesson on “Shmita (Sabbatical Year)”and Foraged Foods from Hazon.
For Adult Learners
REDEMPTION AFTER LOSS: MARRIAGE, REBIRTH, AND THE BOOK OF RUTH by Rabbi Elie Kaunfer Available from the Hadar Institute.
“Shavuot and the Meaning of the Covenant,” by the late Rabbi David Hartman z”l provided by The Shalom Hartman Institute.
“Why do Many Jews Stay up all Night Studying Torah on Shavuot?” By Rabbi David Golinkin, Schechter Institute
“More Precious than Rubies is the King’s Daughter – Feminine Imageries of the Torah” By Tamar Kadari,Schechter Institute
If you are looking for a deeper dive into a series of texts as an individual or as a family, check out these offerings:
Take a look at all of the Ten Commandments one by one in an inspiring study packet from the Pardes