Shavuot Celebration

SHAVUOT CELEBRATION
AT TOURO SYNAGOGUE
THURSDAY, MAY 25

Come together for an evening of learning and exploration! There are many opportunities to study and celebrate throughout the evening – join for some or all. Enjoy ongoing refreshments in the Bowsky Garden.

6:00PM

  • Communal Candle Lighting and Kiddush

6:10PM

  • Shavuot Celebration for Children ( Ages 4+)
  • Adult Learning Session: Exploring the Context of American Jewish Identity

7:00PM

  • Congregational Celebratory Dinner

7:45PM

  • Adult Learning Session: Scribal Arts, Traditions, and Stories

8:30PM

  • Reading of the Ten Commandments and Concluding Spiritual Moment

SHAVUOT FUN FOR KIDS

Children ages 4 and up are invited to join their friends for an evening of fun and discovery! We’ll learn about all the customs and traditions surrounding Shavuot and why we celebrate this special holiday. We’ll wrap up the evening with a yummy ice cream party!

JOIN IN THE TRADITION OF NIGHTTIME STUDY

Exploring the Context of American Jewish Identity
Rabbi Katie Bauman and Dr. Michael Cohen
6:10pm in Forgotston Chapel

American Jewish identity has been shaped by a truly unique American Jewish experience. Never in our history have Jews known freedom, security, and access to power as we have in the United States. Because half the world’s Jewish population lives in North America, how American Jewish identity has taken shape is extremely consequential for the future of the world’s Jews and for the Judaism they express. We will explore the context in which that identity has been formed and some of the unique challenges and opportunities that emerge as it continues to evolve. Through a discussion of key historical moments and contemporary dynamics, we will unpack elements of that identity we share and how it can be instrumentalized for the sake of building the kind of community and world we wish to see, including when it comes to addressing anti-Semitism, racism, and building solidarity among Jews around the world.

Scribal Arts, Traditions, and Stories
Cantor Kevin Margolius
7:45pm in the Forgotston Chapel

The Torah is our most precious gift, and the center of our focus for Shavuot. So often we speak of the Torah’s content, but tonight we’ll instead explore some of the stories that arise from our quest to write and preserve this sacred text. What was the very first Torah? Why was Moses so confused at Sinai? When did the alphabet change from the Torah’s original to the one we use today? We’ll honor this holiday of Torah with some of its greatest hits from legend and history.