Shavuot, or Feast of Weeks, is an Israeli holiday in the month of Sivan. It falls seven weeks after the Passover holiday and is counted specifically so that no one misses which day it is supposed to fall on. This fact, counting of the omer, is the process of no one ever mistaking the date of Shavuot for the wrong day. Even the name, Shavuot, means “weeks” (also, the holiday is called Pentecost in English and that word translates to “50” meaning 50 days, or seven weeks plus one day). All of this is to say that Shavuot was meant to be an extremely important day — for Israel and all those that align themselves with her, never to be missed.
Many things, huge events, historically happened on Shavuot which included the element of fire, and it is celebrated by Israelis by focusing for a night on what is written about these things by reading the historical writings. For this virtuous act of study, rewards are given of delicious dairy foods of all types. So this holiday has come to be known as the dairy holiday in Israel.
Part of the historical record given to the Hebrews was to never neglect Hebrews that are poor and in need, orphans, widows, etc. and to even to have a plan giving for that purpose. We can help with that!
This month we are collecting funds for an event for the Israeli city of Sderot for Israelis living under the poverty line, who are “holding down the fort” in the border city that gets pounded by missiles from Gaza more than anywhere else. Israel Relief Aid will supply survival supplies in the month of June for their bomb shelters, which they actually sleep in many nights, and live in many days.
You are invited to earmark funds in honor of this very special holiday in performance of those very instructions that were written to be done on the first Shavuot. Bless you on this holiday of Shavuot, for love, joy and peace, from all of us at Israel Relief Aid.
