Experienced: Shavuot - A festival between history, community and the future

17 Jun 2025

Experienced: Shavuot – A festival between history, community and the future

from Alex

For many years, the festival of Shavuot passed me by without me attaching much importance to it. It was clear to me that people eat more cheesecake on these days than usual – but I simply didn’t care what exactly was behind it.

That changed when we moved to Moshav Ramat Zvi.

It was there that the community changed my perspective. I started reading the Bible to understand what this festival is really about. And as with so many biblical holidays, I quickly realized: there is a traditional and a modern way to celebrate – and both have their place.

We are a family with six children – life is turbulent, loud, full of small and big moments. We try to make Shavuot lively and meaningful: exciting for the children, but also rooted in tradition. We read the Bible together, especially the Book of Ruth, which is part of Shavuot. This moving story of loyalty, family and new beginnings reminds us that even small decisions can be life-changing – and that everyone has a place in God’s story.

The biblical root

Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks, is mentioned several times in the Torah. It was originally a harvest festival:

“You shall also keep the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labor which you have sown in the field.” – Exodus 23:16

Over time, the festival took on a deeper meaning: it became a commemoration of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai – the central spiritual event of Judaism. Today, Shavuot is a moment to pause and remember our covenant with God – through Torah, values and community.

The moshav is alive

Preparations in our town begin weeks before the actual holiday. People get together, plan, rehearse, organize – and it all pays off. The tractors are decorated with flowers, colorful cloths and flags. The farmers drive them – with great pride – across the fields to show off their harvest.

The children marvel at everything, the adults applaud, and everyone feels: this is our soil, our work, our blessing.

The big ride with tractors

A highlight of the holidays

Celebrations

Celebrate with dancing and lots of fun on the village square

Then comes the legendary tractor show – a highlight, especially for the boys. After the show, the children are allowed to climb onto the tractors themselves, photos are taken, there is laughter and you can feel how much tradition and technology, past and present, are connected here.

Dance, community, solidarity

As the sun sinks lower, the actual village festival begins. The stage fills up:

First, the newborn children and their parents are introduced – a touching moment, because: “Children are our future.” Then the children perform their long-rehearsed dance. Of course, it’s not perfect, sometimes a little chaotic – but it’s full of heart, joy and solidarity. A special experience for me personally: I, who usually likes to stay in the background, was allowed to perform a folk dance with the women of the village. We were all dressed in white and wore yellow ribbons around our necks – a sign of solidarity with the hostages and their families. It wasn’t just a dance – it was an expression of solidarity, strength and hope.

A farewell, a departure

Things got emotional at the end: our eldest daughter Elisabeth and her class said goodbye. Each and every one of them was able to tell us where they are going now – many are joining the army, others are doing voluntary service.

Our daughter will serve in the air force unit. It was a moment full of pride, melancholy and hope – a new chapter begins, also for us as a family.

Between heaven and earth

Despite all these events, we do not forget what Shavuot means at its core: the remembrance of the revelation of the Torah, of the covenant with God and of the gift that sustains us to this day.

That’s why we read the Book of Ruth. That’s why we eat milk dishes, sit together at the table, laugh, discuss, tell stories.

Because that is exactly what Shavuot is: a festival that combines remembrance with renewal, tradition with everyday life and holiness with community.

In a country that never comes to rest, Shavuot is a moment to stop, give thanks and move on together.

And that is precisely why it is more important today than ever.