Shavuot message from Rabbi Melissa B. Simon

“Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Dear friends,

Early in the Book of Ruth, Israelite widow Naomi agrees to take her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth, back to the land of Naomi’s birth and her people. Ruth, often seen as the first person to convert to Judaism because of her above vow, reminds me of many of our North Carolina Hillel students because she takes a courageous stance to commit herself to the Jewish people. Each of our students, whether by choosing to travel to Israel for Birthright, signing up for the Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF) at UNC or NC State, or attending a Shabbat dinner on one our many campuses, makes a choice to participate in Jewish life in college. Our NC Hillel team celebrates the ways in which our students are each on their own Jewish journey, just like Ruth.

Members of the Jewish community around the world will celebrate the festival of Shavuot beginning Thursday evening at sunset. Shavuot is also referred to as Pentecost, following the Greek word for “fifty” because it is exactly 50 days after the first Passover seder. 

While Shavuot's origins are thought to be an ancient grain harvest festival, Shavuot has long been identified with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Other Shavuot traditions include reading the Book of Ruth, eating dairy foods, and staying up all night to engage in Jewish learning.

North Carolina Hillel has not traditionally held campus events for Shavuot because it always falls after the Spring semester ends and our students are off campus. However this year, since we’re running NCHillel@Home, we’ve offered an online learning session about Shavuot. I'm also teaching in the Triangle Tikkun Leil Shavuot (evening of Jewish learning for Shavuot) and invite all of you to join.

As Ruth says to Naomi, “wherever you go, I will go,” and so we are with our North Carolina Hillel students - wherever they are, we go with them.

With best wishes for a healthy, happy Shavuot,

Rabbi Melissa