3 Ways to Celebrate Shavuot with your Family and Friends

By Rabbi Arel Platt, Director of J Life 

Shavuot is one of the most underrated family friendly holidays. Most likely because it usually takes place after the last day of Religious School. Here are 3 easy ways to explore and celebrate Shavuot with your family and friends.

     1. PJ Party with Sundae Bar – Staying up late and eating dairy are staples of celebrating Shavuot. Traditionally, at the beginning of the holiday we stay up all night studying together as a community (explanation below). We also incorporate dairy into our holiday menu because among other interpretations it symbolizes, “the land of Milk and Honey (Exodus 3:8).” What better way to combine the spirit of both into a fun invitation to your family and friends for a PJ Party and sundae bar.

     2. Learn Something New – Shavuot commemorates when we received the Torah. A central value of the Torah is learning and growing. As I mentioned above, traditionally one way we celebrate this is to stay up all night studying together as a community. So a great way to honor receiving the Torah with your family is to learn something new.

     3. Smell the Flowers – Shavuot is also about celebrating the harvest of the first fruits. A great way to do this is to incorporate flowers into your day. This could be picking flowers and making your own arrangement or making flower crowns. Even creating your own paper flowers or making placemats with contact paper, to name a few options.

At its core, Shavuot is about appreciating learning, and growth with a sprinkling of fun. May your Shavuot be filled with discovery, sweetness, and laughter! 

For more information about J Life please visit www.jcc.org/jlife