Discover the Magic of Jerusalem on Shavuot
With the Hebrew month of Sivan approaching – late May on the Gregorian calendar this year – it’s time for people everywhere to begin turning their attention to Shavuot. This holiday is one of the three Biblical Pilgrimage Festivals, when the Torah commands Israelites living in the Kingdom of Judah to make the journey to Jerusalem. However, Shavuot is perhaps best known as a commemoration of the day the nation of Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Enjoy a celebration you can’t fully experience anywhere other than in Jerusalem
Shavuot is celebrated all over the world, but these worldwide celebrations simply don’t compare to Shavuot in Jerusalem. The pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Shavuot can be done on any budget, with the
Hosteling International (HI) Israel having two different hostel branches in the city – the
HI Agron Hostel, and the
HI Rabin Hostel.
No matter where you turn, synagogues and homes are decorated with greenery, and many people stay up all night studying the Torah. While these studying sessions around the world typically only last until midnight, in Jerusalem it is a true all-night study session, with friends and neighbors gathering in each neighborhood, and world class scholars at the major learning institutes teaching all night long. These study sessions, and for that matter, any picnic you happen to encounter during the holiday, are accompanied by the consumption of dairy products, usually cheese. You'll typically find delicious cheese blintzes, cheese bourekasim, and even cheesecake, so if you're on a diet, we strongly advise you watch out for this holiday...
Onwards to the Western Wall
At around 4 in the morning, people begin to stream towards the Kotel, or the Western Wall. They gather at the site where the Holy Temple once stood, in the Kotel Plaza. Standing shoulder to shoulder as the sun comes up, thousands of worshipers recite morning prayers service together.
Shavuot is a celebration of tradition, a celebration of learning, and Jerusalem is the perfect place to experience this in full force.
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