Shavuot: Celebrate our Feast of Weeks

Shavuot 5783/Saturday Evening, June 4, 2022:

Shavuot: Celebrate our Feast of Weeks | Mishkan Shalom- In Person and on Zoom: RSVP Required to Rabbi Shawn Zevit

On Saturday evening, 6/4/2022, celebrate the Festival of Shavuot Mishkan Shalom with friends and guest teachers. We will be sharing offerings throughout the night as we open to what the Torah of our times has to reveal to us.

We will start our celebration of Shavuot a little early by joining the Library Committee at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion of our one book for the year, If All the Seas Were Ink by Ilana Kurshan. This fast and entertaining read is a memoir of Kurshan's experience of living in Jerusalem and engaging in daf yomi, the worldwide practice of studying a page of the Talmud each day. Mishkan member Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, who has been engaged in daf yomi herself since January 2020, will lead the discussion.

8:00-8:30pm- transitional time, contemplative music, and meditative prep.

8:30-9:15pm, Havdalah and Evening Service- R. Shawn and R. Simcha

9:15pm- music/movement- Rabbi Shawn and Elise Kramer

9:30-10:30- Study session 1:

  1.  Eugene Sotirescu- text study- "GOD’S CHARIOTS ARE MYRIADS... THE LORD IS AMONG THEM , SINAI IN HOLINESS." (Psalm 68) with Rabbi Eugene Fleischman Sotirescu. The haftarah for Shavuot is taken from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel. But what is the connection between the holiday and the strange things Ezekiel sees from his exile in Babylon? Let's have a closer look at his words before we hear them recited at midnight.

  2.  YOU FILL AND SURROUND ALL WORLDS- Rabbi Simcha Zevit, Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi used the term "God-field", describing interpenetrating energies that surround and fill us, our communities, and the entire universe. I'll share the inspiring work of HeartMath, a science and research organization working on creating energetic coherence within people, communities, nations, and the earth.  Activating the covenantal relationship between people, and between people and the environment we live in, creating coherence among the parts that make up the whole, requires us to contribute to the God-field with a conscious intention of Love. I'll share HeartMath research, techniques to create coherence, and discuss how they relate to Reb Zalman's teachings.

10:30-10:45- music, movement, meditation 

10:45-11:45- Study Session 2:

  1.  Elise Luce Kramer: re-counting the Omer with yin yoga- a very mellow yoga practice (lying on the floor) integrating the journey of the Omer we took to this moment.

  2.  Rabbi Shawn Zevit: Descent/Ascent as a Spiritual Path- Through text study, song and discussion we will explore the Biblical, Rabbinic, Kabbalistic and Contemporary ideas of running and returning, descending and ascending as a holistic Jewish approach to the journey of revelation and salvation (self-realization) in life.

11:45-Midnight: Meditation leading into the chating of the "Chariot of Ezekiel" (Rabbis Zevit and Kohenet Shoshana Bricklin)

Preparing for Shavuot: Read Rabbi Shawn Zevit's blogpost by clicking here.

SEVEN WEEKS OF THE OMER FROM PASSOVER TO SHAVUOT

Every Wednesday at 8:00-8:45am from April 20- June 1, as part of our weekly "Awakening to the Day" morning practice (Zoom access available through weekly Mishkan e-mails or by contacting Lynn@mishkan.org). We will focus on the spiritual theme of that week and how that awareness and cultivation of these midot/attributes can impact our lives and the world around us.

As a resource we encourage you to subscribe to Ritualwell, who will offer 49 days of short teachings, reflection prompts, and inspiration for your Omer journey sent to your inbox, including those by Rabbi Shawn. Join us in practices to cultivate a good heart in preparation to receive the Torah on Shavuot: 

Hesed (Lovingkindness, Apr 20)

Gevurah (Discipline, Apr 27)

Tiferet (Compassion, May 4)

Netzakh (Endurance, May 11)

Hod (Humility, May 18)

Yesod (Connectivity/Generativity, May 25)

and Malkhut (Immanence/Self-Realization, June 1) 

Learn about Shavuot Traditions

The Ten Commandments, Revelation -- receiving the Law -- at Sinai, having an all-night study session, reading from the Book of Ruth, eating dairy foods, King David, papercutting...many traditions are associated with this third of the traditonal pilgrimage holidays. For a quick guide, click here.

Shavuot 5783/Saturday Evening, June 4, 2022:

Shavuot: Celebrate our Feast of Weeks | Mishkan Shalom- In Person and on Zoom: RSVP Required to Rabbi Shawn Zevit

On Saturday evening, 6/4/2022, celebrate the Festival of Shavuot Mishkan Shalom with friends and guest teachers. We will be sharing offerings throughout the night as we open to what the Torah of our times has to reveal to us.

We will start our celebration of Shavuot a little early by joining the Library Committee at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion of our one book for the year, If All the Seas Were Ink by Ilana Kurshan. This fast and entertaining read is a memoir of Kurshan's experience of living in Jerusalem and engaging in daf yomi, the worldwide practice of studying a page of the Talmud each day. Mishkan member Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, who has been engaged in daf yomi herself since January 2020, will lead the discussion.

8:00-8:30pm- transitional time, contemplative music, and meditative prep.

8:30-9:15pm, Havdalah and Evening Service- R. Shawn and R. Simcha

9:15pm- music/movement- Rabbi Shawn and Elise Kramer

9:30-10:30- Study session 1:

  1.  Eugene Sotirescu- text study- "GOD’S CHARIOTS ARE MYRIADS... THE LORD IS AMONG THEM , SINAI IN HOLINESS." (Psalm 68) with Rabbi Eugene Fleischman Sotirescu. The haftarah for Shavuot is taken from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel. But what is the connection between the holiday and the strange things Ezekiel sees from his exile in Babylon? Let's have a closer look at his words before we hear them recited at midnight.

  2.  YOU FILL AND SURROUND ALL WORLDS- Rabbi Simcha Zevit, Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi used the term "God-field", describing interpenetrating energies that surround and fill us, our communities, and the entire universe. I'll share the inspiring work of HeartMath, a science and research organization working on creating energetic coherence within people, communities, nations, and the earth.  Activating the covenantal relationship between people, and between people and the environment we live in, creating coherence among the parts that make up the whole, requires us to contribute to the God-field with a conscious intention of Love. I'll share HeartMath research, techniques to create coherence, and discuss how they relate to Reb Zalman's teachings.

10:15-10:30- music, movement, meditation 

10:30-11:30- Study Session 2:

  1.  Elise Luce Kramer: re-counting the Omer with yin yoga- a very mellow yoga practice (lying on the floor) integrating the journey of the Omer we took to this moment.

  2.  Rabbi Shawn Zevit: Descent/Ascent as a Spiritual Path- Through text study, song and discussion we will explore the Biblical, Rabbinic, Kabbalistic and Contemporary ideas of running and returning, descending and ascending as a holistic Jewish approach to the journey of revelation and salvation (self-realization) in life.

11:30-Midnight: Meditation leading into the chating of the "Chariot of Ezekiel" (Rabbis Zevit and Kohenet Shoshana Bricklin)

Shavuot Resources from Rabbi Shawn Zevit and the Reconstructionist Movement

Resources from Reconstructing Judaism

Resources from the Shalom Center

Shavuot Resources from Yael Levy, Rabbi Emirita

The Infinite Breaks Through: A Teaching for Shavuot from Rabbi Yael

Tending the Fire: Jewish Mindfulness Teachings and Suggestions for Practice

Resources for a Mindfulness approach to experiencing Shavuot found here: A Way In: Center for Jewish Mindfulness.

Wishing you a Hag Sameah...a happy holiday!

  2.  Rabbi Shawn Zevit: Descent/Ascent as a Spiritual Path- Through text study, song and discussion we will explore the Biblical, Rabbinic, Kabbalistic and Contemporary ideas of running and returning, descending and ascending as a holistic Jewish approach to the journey of revelation and salvation (self-realization) in life.