Shavuot on the Mountain 2010 Program Offerings
We are Thrilled to present an array of offering from our community of techers to explore the various themes of Shavuot, including Revelation, the Omer, the Bikkurim, the Book of Ruth, and beyond!
10p – 11pm
Rabbi Avram Davis – The Barley & The Wheat
At Shavuos we wave wheat sheaves and barley, elevate the bread, we seek to sacrifice for peace and plenty knowing there is famine; we begin the late spring sowing hoping for the harvest; we seek simplicity while living in great complexity. Shavuos can serve us as a guide between urban and rural and how to navigate many of the drama’s of modernity.
Jocelyn Berger – Shavuot: From Charity and Dependency to Dignity and Sustainability
The Book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, can teach us about the complex relationship between hunger, food aid, and dependence – using a social justice lens, we’ll explore how these themes apply to alleviating poverty in today’s globalized world.
Jonathan Furst – Night Blessings On the Path
Join us for a short hike to listen to and join with the forest in night prayers. Includes improvisational prayer, practices for seeing in the dark, and perhaps some vocal jamming. No flashlights needed.
Miki Raver – Circle for Ruth
A highly interactive workshop consisting of the reading of the Book of Ruth, with an opportunity to share insights and questions as we read. This is followed by a circle dance and guided meditation back into biblical times.
11:15pm – 12:15pm
Brian Schachter-Brooks – The G-d Abyss Has No Bottom
The festivals are a symbolic map of the spiritual process. In this talk we will explore the symbolism of Shavuot, the Omer and Pesakh, bringing attention to the inner work that is screamed about by them. Please bring your fear of falling as an offering.
Ilan Vitemberg – Ruth and Maintaining our Values
How do we maintain the highest Jewish values, and the teachings of the book of Ruth on how to treat the foreigners in our midst, when we feel threatened or insecure. How do these values shape our relationship with Israel? A look at Ruth, and the Israeli Declaration of Independence using the Talmudic style commentary created by Rabbis for Human Rights.
Eilish Nagel – Listening through body and soul: a revelatory exploration into the heart of wisdom
Walk into the mystery of your own deep listening, through inner and outer landscapes. A guided exploration into the mystery of your own knowing. We will be venturing into the darkness of the mountain to hear what it has to tell us.
Andrea Pressman – Yoga
A mellow flow practice intended to connect us to our breath, heart and inter-connectedeness. All levels.
2:30 am – 3:30 am
Rabbi David Seidenberg – Genesis, the Jubilee Year, and the Purpose of the Sinai Covenant
This Torah text study will show how the essential purpose of the Sinai covenant is to fix our relationship with the land. It will also illuminate the deep meaning of the Omer count.
Morgan Blum – Outside Auschwitz: Stories of the Holocaust in the Forest
The history of the Holocaust can be told as a collection of stories. As part of reflecting on the role of the Mitzvot in our own lives, this workshop will look at the experience of those who survived or lost their lives in the forest and what mitzvot they were able to maintain in the process.
Fred Werner – Audible Revelations: the Earth speaks
Ask the divine for revelation (guidance, inspiration, blessings, answers), and hear the response in the night.
4:00 am – 5:00 am
Zelig Golden – Midnight + Wilderness = Revelation
Explore the masters views on why we receive revalation at odd hours, in odd places! Come ready to delve into text, experience the magic pre-dawn hour, and share you experience with the die-hards who stayed up all night!
Baruch Schwadron – What is our Mountain of Revelation?
Some look at the Torah as a map of what is going on inside and around us all the time. So if Sinai exists inside of us, what is it? How do we climb it? What do we bring down? We will see what the text says with this lens in mind, unlock new revelation, and see what we have been building up to for 50 days!
5:00am – 7:00am In the Kitchen
Chef Avishai – Cooking Breakfast as Meditative Prayer: Alternative Shachrit
As night turns to day, and the light increases, join us to engage in Avoda Be-Gashmiut- Work (and Worship) with, and through the body, the physical temple we dwell in, as we prepare to feed our temples. With songs, chants and silence, we will engage in the joyful alchemy of transforming fresh and local gifts of earth (vegetables, fruits and grain) and birds (eggs) and cattle (cheese) into a festive feast for the community. Between Gratitude and Blessing here we chop and stir.
