Shavuot is Jewish holiday with multiple historical and spiritual meanings. Shavuot marks the end of the 49-day period of the Omer, a period of spiritual progression from slavery to revelation that starts during Passover. We celebrate both physical and spiritual sustenance as Jews: the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the annual harvest. Shavuot traditions include staying up all night studying Torah and eating dairy-based foods. To celebrate Shavuot MaTovu style, we are thrilled that Rachel Binstock, a renowned teacher of Earth-based Judaism and Jewish Ancestral Skills, will be leading two workshops that connect the spiritual and physical aspects of the holiday! And we’ll nosh on yummy dairy treats throughout the night too.
Schedule
6:30-6:45pm - Welcome and Dinner
6:46-7:45pm - Workshop 1: Intro to Earth Based Judaism
7:45-8pm - Cheesecake Break!
8-9pm - Workshop 2: Scribal Arts Workshop
Sign up on a sliding scale from $0-$36 . Descriptions of the workshops below.
Workshop Descriptions
Intro to Earth Based Judaism
Have you ever wondered why Jewish time tracks the moon or why we are always lighting candles? Despite what the rabbis tell us, Judaism isn't really about torah and laws. There is so much hidden underneath the surface that they never taught you in Hebrew school. Come explore the grand design of Jewish time and practice and how it intimately reconnects us to the natural world's cycles and seasons. We will even get a chance to ask, how can Judaism seen through this lens, be a tool for us today reimagining our own personal rituals that keep us grounded and connected.
Scribal Arts Workshop + Intro to Hebrew Letters
The Hebrew letters are our mystical teachers; the building blocks of myth that can take us deep into the heart of meaning, if we only listen. Join us as we explore the ancient art of scribing the Hebrew letters using turkey feathers and oak gall ink. No prior knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet is required, just come and play!
This event is geared toward adults; kids who are able to participate in the learning and workshop are welcome.
More about Rachel Binstock (she/her)
Rachel Binstock is a curriculum and event designer working at the intersection of Jewish spirituality and earth connection. Drawing on a decade of experience running programs at Eden Village, Urban Adamah, Wilderness Torah, and Dayenu, Rachel co-founded Melacha U'Vracha a Jewish Ancestral Skills Gathering to grow earth-connected Jewish praxis in the Northeast. After getting an MBA from Johns Hopkins and an MA in Human-Centered Design from MICA she moved to Vermont for her day job, Chief of Staff at a climate-tech company, turning human waste into fertilizer. Rachel comes to life while in the natural world, making things with her hands.