Shavuos - The Forgotten Holiday

From BeingJewish.com

Everyone has heard of Passover. But what is Shavuos? And why have so few people heard of it? It's also in the Torah, yet it certainly does not have the eminence that Passover holds for most people. Why is it not as well known as Passover?

We all know what Passover is about. That's when we became a nation, in a sense. At any rate, that's when we became the "Nation that the Creator has taken for His very own." But what was it for? Why did the Creator choose us? What purpose did He have in mind?

Well, that's what's Shavuos is all about. While Passover is the time we became the Nation to receive a Mission, it was on Shavuos that we received that Mission.

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What Is Lag Ba'Omer

This year Lag Ba'Omer falls on May 26

By Ariela Pelaia for about.com

Lag Ba'Omer is a minor Jewish holiday that falls between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. "Lag" is a combination of two Hebrew letters: lamed and gimmel. According to Hebrew numerology, lamed stands for the number thirty and gimmel stands for the number three. These two numbers are significant for Lag Ba'Omer because it is celebrated on the 33rd day of Counting the Omer.

The Significance of Lag Ba'Omer

Lag Ba'Omer is a joyous holiday but no one is sure what it celebrates. The Talmud mentions a plague that is thought to have killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students during one Omer, and some have suggested that Lag Ba'Omer is celebratory because the plague abated on the 33rd day. Others have suggested that Lag Ba'Omer is connected to Rabbi Akiva's support of Simon Bar Kokhba, a Jewish rebel leader against Rome. The Romans responded to Bar Kokhba's revolt with incredible brutality, but perhaps Lag Ba'Omer was a day when either the Jews won a victory or there was a brief respite from the violence.

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Counting the Omer: Week 3

By Kabbalah Centre

Week 3 - Correcting the Sefira of Tiferet

Road to Transformation:

Get out your running shoes! The Omer is a marathon of cosmic cleansing. Kabbalah teaches us that during these forty-nine days following Pesach, we need to take great care in ridding all negative influences from every area of our lives. After Pesach, we begin anticipating Shavuot, the next holiday and in essence the conclusion of Pesach. Pesach was a free connection. The Omer is the work we do to earn the Light of Pesach and Shavuot. We cleanse ourselves by counting the days of the Omer until Shavuot's arrival. The Omer is counted from the second night of Pesach through the night before Shavuot. It is best to count the Omer at nightfall; however, one may count at any time throughout the night.

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18 Ways Israel is Changing the World

A DIY exhibition from ISRAEL21c

Israel Independence Day is celebrated on May 13

As a special Independence Day gift to our readers, ISRAEL21c has put together a unique online exhibition called 18 Ways Israel is Changing the World, which you can stage anywhere and at any time of the year.

The gorgeous exhibition, which includes 18 full-color images, is easy to use. You can download, print and post it in any location, either displayed onsite or online. You may have the images enlarged on foam core board for display on easels or in display cases. Or simply present it online using a tablet or computer – it’s great for a continuous video loop.

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Yom HaShoah in the United States

From timeanddate.com

Yom HaShoah 2016 - Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Many people in the United States observe Yom Hashoah, which is also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. It commemorates the lives and heroism of Jewish people who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945.

What Do People Do?
Many people in the United States, including those with Jewish ancestry or connections, observe Yom Hashoah on the 27th day of the month of Nisan. Many Jewish communities hold commemorative ceremonies or events to remember Holocaust victims who died during World War II. Activities may include lighting memorial candles and reciting the Kaddish, which is a prayer for the departed.

The Masorti (Conservative Judaism) movement in Israel created Megillat HaShoah, a scroll and liturgical reading for Yom HaShoah. This is a joint effort between Jewish leaders in Israel, the United States and Canada. Rituals associated with Yom Hashoah are still being made and suggested. These rituals vary among synagogues in North America.

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