Jews living in the city of Jerusalem celebrate Shabuot at a holy place
called the Wailing Wall. The decorated covering protects a large scroll
on which the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is written.
Shabuot, or Feast of Weeks
Day of the Commandments
Shabuot (sha voo oht) is one of the great Jewish festivals. It
celebrates the day that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the
Jewish leader.
Shabuot is the Hebrew word for \”weeks.” This festival is also called
\”Feast of Weeks.” This is because it comes seven weeks after the first
day of Passover (see page 140).
Long ago, Shabuot was also a harvest festival. It was the time when Jews
made a
journey to Jerusalem to make offerings at the Temple in thanks for their
crops. After the Romans destroyed the Temple, Shabuot became more and
more a time to celebrate the gift of the Ten Commandments.
Today, Shabuot is when most Reform Jews celebrate the confirmation of
children.
(Orthodox Jewish boys are confirmed on their thirteenth birthday; girls
on their twelfth birthday.) The ceremony of confirmation is called bar
mitzvah (bahr [mihts]{.smallcaps} vuh) for boys and bas (bahs) mitzva
for girls. The name means \”son (or daughter) of the commandment.”
Shabuot is celebrated for one or two days. On the Hebrew calendar (see
page 27), this festival starts on the sixth day of the month of Sivan,
which falls in May or June.
