A Time to Gather

A PJ Library Family Guide for Passover Through Shavuot

Passover is is one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays, a time when many families gather for a Passover seder (ritual meal) as they imagine that they themselves were freed from slavery in Egypt. Seven weeks later is the holiday of Shavuot, a time when communities gather to hear a reading of the Ten Commandments — the Jewish peoples ethical blueprint — and celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. (In the Jewish imagination, the first Shavuot is the ultimate Jewish gathering: It is said that every Jew who ever lived — or will live! — was present at Mount Sinai for the giving of the Torah.)

The seven weeks that lie between Passover and Shavuot are called the Counting of the Omer (in Hebrew, omer is a bundle of grain). In ancient Israel, this was the season when barley ripened and then was harvested (another kind of gathering) and brought as an offering with the very first wheat to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

As generations passed, the period between Passover and Shavuot became designated as a time for personal growth — a time when we can ripen right along with the grain.

There are a handful of holidays during the seven weeks of the Omer, including Mimouna (a Moroccan end-of-Passover celebration), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), and Lag B’Omer (a Jewish bonfire holiday), and each presents its own opportunity for group celebration and individual enrichment. Having experienced at Passover the physical liberation of the exodus from Egypt, throughout the Omer we gather our inner powers so by Shavuot we’re ready to receive the Torah and become caring members of the big Jewish family.

This guide will help families explore the meaning and practice (and food, including matzah, cheesecake, and more) of the Jewish holidays from Passover to Shavuot. It also introduces seven fun challenges of character growth — for kids and adults alike — to try out during the seven-week period of the Omer.