What is Shavuot? The Jewish festival that started hours after Boulder attack

Sunday afternoon's attack successful Boulder, Colorado, took spot hours earlier the commencement of a large Jewish festival, Shavuot.

Authorities accidental a man utilized a flamethrower and threw an incendiary instrumentality into a radical holding 1 of its regular rallies successful solidarity with Israeli hostages successful Gaza. Eight radical were injured, immoderate with burns.

Shavuot (pronounced Shah-voo-OTE), Hebrew for “weeks," has been observed since biblical times. It marks the passing of 7 weeks (49 days) from the vacation of Passover, with Shavuot falling connected the 50th day.

In biblical times, Shavuot was an cultivation festival, erstwhile Israelites would bring harvest offerings to the temple.

Today, it's chiefly commemorated arsenic the accepted day connected which God gave the Torah — the instrumentality that forms the bosom of the Jewish Scriptures — to Moses connected Mount Sinai, arsenic described successful the Bible.

The 50-day clip play gives the festival its Greek name, Pentecost, which is besides the sanction for a beatified time connected the Christian calendar.

Shavuot falls connected the 6th of Sivan connected the Jewish calendar, which reckons days arsenic opening astatine sundown. This year, Shavuot began Sunday evening and continues for 1 oregon 2 days, depending connected tradition.

For Jews wrong Israel and for Reform Jews, the festival lasts for 1 day. Other traditions extracurricular of Israel observe Shavuot for 2 days, ending Tuesday evening this year. (The saltation stems from antithetic traditions connected erstwhile to observe lunar holidays, which historically were based connected satellite observations successful past Israel.)

Shavuot typically falls successful May oregon June connected the Gregorian calendar.

Jews observe with readings of the biblical publication of Exodus, including the Ten Commandments. Some people the juncture with all-night readings from the Torah and different spiritual texts. Observant Jews refrain from enactment connected Shavuot. The biblical publication of Ruth, astir a pistillate who embraces the Jewish faith, is often work and studied.

Shavuot celebrations are often marked by the depletion of dairy products, specified arsenic cheesecake and cheese-filled blintzes. Explanations for this contented vary; 1 is that the Torah is similar nourishing beverage for the spirit.

Reform Judaism has traditionally connected Shavuot to its rite of confirmation for teens, successful which they affirmed their committedness to Jewish life.

Tragically, this year's Shavuot is not the archetypal clip successful caller representation that Jews person marked a usually festive vacation successful grim circumstances.

Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel, claiming astir 1,200 lives, took spot connected Simchat Torah, a day erstwhile Jews observe the completion of their year-long rhythm of Torah readings.

Sunday’s gathering successful Boulder was to rise attraction for the 58 hostages, astir a 3rd believed to beryllium alive, who are inactive being held by Hamas.

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Sources: “What is simply a Jew?” by Rabbis Morris N. Kertzer and Lawrence A. Hoffman; Chabad.org; ReformJudaism.org; Jewish Agency for Israel; JCC Association of North America.

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