Each year, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (celebrated this year from June 1 to 3), synagogues worldwide read a surprising text: the Book of Ruth. Shavuot marks the moment when G-d gave the Torah ...

The symbolism of Ruth arriving in Beit Lechem at the beginning of the barley harvest is robust. The barley harvest begins on the second night of Pesach, the first day of a newly redeemed Israel. A ...

In 2011, under the mentorship of Professor Susan Handelman, an emulated scholar and author, I submitted my MA thesis to Bar Ilan University. It’s title: “Performing Ruth: Dramatic Exegesis in ...

Chen is sometimes hard to describe but we know it when we see it. It is that extra measure of grace that makes a person or an action especially appealing. Chen elevates the ordinary, exceeds our ...

Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah... most non-Jewish people have at least a vague idea of what those Jewish holidays commemorate, celebrate or honor. But how about Shavuot, the "Feast of Weeks?" ...

Shavuot was an ancient biblical festival celebrating the start of the wheat harvest and the bringing of the first fruits to the Temple. When examining the timeline in the Book of Exodus, the rabbis of ...

Shavuot (pronounced Shah-voo-OTE), Hebrew for “weeks,” has been observed since biblical times. It marks the passing of seven weeks (49 days) from the holiday of Passover, with Shavuot falling on the ...

At a unique crossroads between religion and cuisine, the holiday of Shavuot, celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai some 3,337 years ago, has become a celebration of fine dairy cuisine as ...

The Book of Ruth, focusing on loving-kindness (chesed), is read during Shavuot. Ruth's acts of kindness and devotion to her mother-in-law, Naomi, are highlighted. The story emphasizes the importance ...