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CLAL's Second Annual National Unity Shavuot to feature Web Site Planning Guide and Learning Events Nationwide

By Andrew Silow-Carroll, Communications Director

Pluralist study events in cities across the United States, a comprehensive Shavuot Web site, and the publication of a guidebook for planning pluralist programs are among the highlights of the second annual National Unity Shavuot, an initiative of CLAL--The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.

Traditionally a holiday to mark the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people, Shavuot is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the many ways Jews have interpreted and experienced Torah while remaining unified as a people.

Made possible in part through the generosity of The Nathan Cummings Foundation, CLAL’s National Unity Shavuot emphasizes this pluralism and unity with events and resources that include the participation of rabbis, institutions, Jewish leaders and individuals representing the range of contemporary Jewish expression.

Shavuot begins this year at sundown on June 8.

CLAL’s National Unity Shavuot Web site (www.Shavuot.org) is a one-stop resource for learning about the holiday and experiencing the spectrum of meanings it holds for Jews. The site contains:

  • concise information about the origins and customs of the holiday,
  • a trove of Shavuot study texts from biblical, rabbinic and contemporary sources along with guidelines for using the texts in private or group study, and
  • an on-line study area enabling users to engage in virtual learning sessions with fellow participants from around the world.

Available for download or on-line viewing is a newly published guidebook for planning a pluralist community Shavuot event. The guidebook includes tools and methods for facilitating cross-denominational dialogue, descriptions of successful Shavuot learning programs, and a 20-page collection of core Jewish texts around which a pluralist study program can be designed.

The www.Shavuot.org Web site also includes information about CLAL-promoted Shavuot community learning events in cities across North America, including Danbury, Conn.; Great Neck, N.Y.; Highland Park, Ill.; San Jose, Calif.; Chicago; Denver; New York City and Philadelphia.

The National Unity Shavuot was developed by CLAL and alumni of CLAL’s boundary-crossing rabbinic retreats and longer-term rabbinic study programs.

The 1999 CLAL National Unity Shavuot celebration featured pluralist community study events in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Well over 1,000 people participated in these events, led by rabbis from across the denominations. Over 3,000 more logged on to www.Shavuot.org. Tens of thousands received CLAL Shavuot materials in the mail or read about the events in Jewish newspapers.

CLAL’s mission is to build dynamic communities within one Jewish people by developing new Jewish thought and practice, enhancing the effectiveness of volunteer, professional and rabbinic leadership, and promoting a pluralist Jewish community.

For additional information about the National Unity Shavuot, contact Andrew Silow-Carroll, 212-779-3300, ext. 121.



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