Tonight and tomorrow - and, outside Israel, the next day as well - is the holiday of Shavuot, one of Judaism's Three Regalim - "pilgrimage to Jerusalem" festivals (along with Passover and Sukkot).
The holiday marks several landmarks, foremost of which is the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People at Mt. Sinai 3,316 years ago. This dramatic event occurred seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, and in fact the word Shavuot means "weeks;" the Counting of the Omer marks the counting of the seven weeks between the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah.
Jews around the world will remember the Giving of the Torah by staying up all night and studying Torah texts. Synagogues, schools, yeshivot and other organizations will be organizing special classes and lectures throughout the night - for children, beginners, learned scholars, and everyone in between. In Jerusalem, there is a widespread custom of going to the Western Wall for morning prayers, which are often accompanied by dancing and singing. The prayers also include the public reading of the Book of Ruth.
The holiday is also known as the Festival of Harvest (Exodus 23,16), in commemoration of the agricultural period of the year, and the Festival of the First Fruits (Numbers 28,26), marking the commandment to bring one's first fruits to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Many kibbutzim and moshavim organize special celebrations revolving around these themes, including ceremonies highlighting their new produce.
Shavuot is a legal holiday in Israel: schools and businesses are closed, there is no public transportation, and newspapers are not published.
For more information, see:
Jewish Hotsites at http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hday.htm
The OU - http://www.ou.org/chagim/shavuot/default.htm
Project Genesis - http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/shavuos/
Aish HaTorah - http://www.aish.com/holidays/shavuot/default.asp
Ohr Somayach - http://www.ohr.org.il/special/shavuos/index.htm
613.ORG: - http://www.613.org/shavuot.html
The holiday marks several landmarks, foremost of which is the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People at Mt. Sinai 3,316 years ago. This dramatic event occurred seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, and in fact the word Shavuot means "weeks;" the Counting of the Omer marks the counting of the seven weeks between the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah.
Jews around the world will remember the Giving of the Torah by staying up all night and studying Torah texts. Synagogues, schools, yeshivot and other organizations will be organizing special classes and lectures throughout the night - for children, beginners, learned scholars, and everyone in between. In Jerusalem, there is a widespread custom of going to the Western Wall for morning prayers, which are often accompanied by dancing and singing. The prayers also include the public reading of the Book of Ruth.
The holiday is also known as the Festival of Harvest (Exodus 23,16), in commemoration of the agricultural period of the year, and the Festival of the First Fruits (Numbers 28,26), marking the commandment to bring one's first fruits to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Many kibbutzim and moshavim organize special celebrations revolving around these themes, including ceremonies highlighting their new produce.
Shavuot is a legal holiday in Israel: schools and businesses are closed, there is no public transportation, and newspapers are not published.
For more information, see:
Jewish Hotsites at http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hday.htm
The OU - http://www.ou.org/chagim/shavuot/default.htm
Project Genesis - http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/shavuos/
Aish HaTorah - http://www.aish.com/holidays/shavuot/default.asp
Ohr Somayach - http://www.ohr.org.il/special/shavuos/index.htm
613.ORG: - http://www.613.org/shavuot.html