What is Shavuot? The Jewish festival that started hours after Boulder, Colorado, attack
Authorities say a man used a flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into a group holding one of its regular rallies in solidarity with Israeli hostages in Gaza. Eight people were injured, some with burns.
What is Shavuot?
Shavuot (pronounced Shah-voo-OTE), Hebrew for 'weeks,' has been observed since biblical times. It marks the passing of seven weeks (49 days) from the holiday of Passover, with Shavuot falling on the 50th day.
In biblical times, Shavuot was an agricultural festival, when Israelites would bring harvest offerings to the temple.
Today, it's primarily commemorated as the traditional date on which God gave the Torah — the law that forms the heart of the Jewish Scriptures — to Moses on Mount Sinai, as described in the Bible.
The 50-day time period gives the festival its Greek name, Pentecost, which is also the name for a holy day on the Christian calendar.
When is Shavuot?
Shavuot falls on the 6th of Sivan on the Jewish calendar, which reckons days as beginning at sundown. This year, Shavuot began Sunday evening and continues for one or two days, depending on tradition.
For Jews inside Israel and for Reform Jews, the festival lasts for one day. Other traditions outside of Israel observe Shavuot for two days, ending Tuesday evening this year. (The variation stems from different traditions on when to observe lunar holidays, which historically were based on moon observations in ancient Israel.)
Shavuot typically falls in May or June on the Gregorian calendar.
How is Shavuot observed?
Jews celebrate with readings of the biblical book of Exodus, including the Ten Commandments. Some mark the occasion with all-night readings from the Torah and other religious texts. Observant Jews refrain from work on Shavuot. The biblical book of Ruth, about a woman who embraces the Jewish faith, is often read and studied.
Shavuot celebrations are often marked by the consumption of dairy products, such as cheesecake and cheese-filled blintzes. Explanations for this tradition vary; one is that the Torah is like nourishing milk for the spirit.
Reform Judaism has traditionally connected Shavuot to its rite of confirmation for teens, in which they affirmed their commitment to Jewish life.
Somber observances
Tragically, this year's Shavuot is not the first time in recent memory that Jews have marked a normally festive holiday in grim circumstances.
Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, claiming about 1,200 lives, took place on Simchat Torah, a date when Jews celebrate the completion of their year-long cycle of Torah readings.
Sunday's gathering in Boulder was to raise attention for the 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, who are still being held by Hamas.
A statement from Rabbi Yisroel and Leah Wilhelm, directors of the Rohr Chabad House at the University of Colorado in Boulder, asked people to celebrate the holiday while keeping the victims in their prayers.
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'We encourage everyone to respond energetically to this attack by celebrating Shavuot joyously, by attending the reading of the Ten Commandments, and by recommitting to the heritage and traditions we hold so dear,' they said.
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Sources: 'What is a Jew?' by Rabbis Morris N. Kertzer and Lawrence A. Hoffman; Chabad.org; ReformJudaism.org; Jewish Agency for Israel; JCC Association of North America.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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Japan Forward
16 hours ago
- Japan Forward
Kiichiro Higuchi: The General Who Defied History and Shaped Japan
このページを 日本語 で読む On August 15, Japan will mark 80 years since the end of World War II (WWII). While reflecting on the horrors of war and the sanctity of peace, we should also turn our attention to the history and memories that were suppressed under the occupation policies of the GHQ (general headquarters for the Allied forces) after the war. On that, Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi, who rescued Jews from Nazi persecution during the war and prevented the Soviet invasion of Hokkaido, is once again attracting attention. Ryuichi Higuchi, grandson of General Higuchi, was recently interviewed by The Sankei Shimbun. Known for his research on Bach, Ryuichi Higuchi is an emeritus professor at Meiji Gakuin University. "After my grandfather retired from his post as northern repatriation supervisor, responsible for bringing back soldiers stationed overseas, he never took up another occupation. He quietly spent his days in remembrance, mourning the many subordinates he had lost," Higuchi recalled of his grandfather, who was 58 years his senior. "When he worked the fields of his wife's family in Kobayashi Town (now Kobayashi City), Miyazaki Prefecture, he would bow his head in prayer every morning, facing east, west, south, and north. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and seemed to know everything. His stories were always fascinating and captivating. Yet he seldom spoke to me about the war." Ryuichi Higuchi during an interview with The Sankei Shimbun. (©Sankei by Shunsuke Sakamaki) Five years ago, Higuchi compiled his grandfather's private records from both his military service and postwar writings. And, as editor, he published them as "The Last Words of Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi" (in Japanese, 陸軍中将 樋口季一郎の遺訓) by Bensei Publishing. General Higuchi was born in 1888 in Aman Village, Hyogo Prefecture (now Minami-Awaji City). He graduated from the Army Cadet School and the Army Officer School before completing the highly competitive Army University, a training institution for officers. After serving as an intelligence officer in Russia, Europe, and Manchuria, Higuchi went on to hold a series of prominent positions. He was head of the Harbin Special Agency, second director of the General Staff Headquarters in charge of intelligence, commander of the 9th Division responsible for security in Manchuria and Mudanjiang, commander of the Northern Army, and commander of the Fifth Army. General Higuchi is often remembered as a "humanitarian general" due to the 1938 Otpor Incident that occurred when he was head of the Harbin Special Agency. Lieutenant General Higuchi, pictured during his tenure as head of the Harbin Special Agency. (photo courtesy of Ryuichi Higuchi) At that time, he issued visas to Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi persecution and gathered at Otpor Station on the Manchurian–Soviet border, arranging for them to be transported by train to Dalian and Shanghai. "When my grandfather passed away in 1970, the Asahi Shimbun reported both his death and his rescue of Jewish refugees, which caused quite a stir among our relatives," Higuchi recalled. However, he also noted a potential discrepancy in the reporting. " The Asahi Shimbun reported that 20,000 Jewish refugees were rescued, but in his own manuscripts, he recorded 'several thousand.'" "I was still in elementary school when a Jewish man who had started a business in Japan came to visit, expressing his gratitude and asking my grandfather to serve as an advisor," Higuchi said. "The fruits they brought as gifts were extravagant. My grandfather welcomed the visit but politely declined the offer, saying, 'That and this are different matters, so I must pass.'" Still, he continued, "Even a year before the Otpor Incident, at the first Far Eastern Jewish Conference, he caused a stir by delivering a congratulatory address as a guest." "He praised the Jewish people as 'inquisitive and hardworking' and expressed a desire to 'work together to contribute to world peace and the welfare of humanity.' Although Germany was an ally, my grandfather seems to have held a firm conviction that Japan must not persecute the Jews." Another of General Higuchi's recognized achievements came in August 1945, when he was commander of the Fifth Army, responsible for the defense of Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. He launched a "self-defense battle," successfully thwarting the Soviet army, led by its Supreme Leader Joseph Stalin, from invading Hokkaido. Eighty years ago, on August 9, the Soviet Union broke the still-valid Japan–Soviet Neutrality Pact and entered the war against Japan. It unilaterally invaded Manchuria, southern Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the Kuril Islands. Not only soldiers but also countless innocent civilians were killed and subjected to atrocities. Shumshu Island, located at the northern tip of the Kuril Islands. In response, General Higuchi ordered his troops to "continue fighting in self-defense to the exhaustion." Although the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War was issued on August 15, the Battle of Shumshu, at the northern tip of the Kuril Islands, began on August 18. It inflicted heavy losses on the Soviet forces that had landed there. Hiiguchi said, "At the time, Stalin demanded that US President Harry Truman approve the occupation of northern Hokkaido. If my grandfather had not ordered the war of self-defense to destroy the Soviet army, not only Hokkaido but also the Tohoku region would have been divided and occupied." "When I was in junior high, Germany was split into East and West, and the Berlin Wall was built (in August 1961)," Higuchi went on. "My grandfather, who was then living in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, once told me, 'Ryuichi, draw a map of Germany,' and spoke to me about Berlin." "When I became a graduate student, I studied in East Germany for [J.S.] Bach research, and witnessed firsthand the tragedy of Germany's division. My grandfather likely took pride in having prevented the Soviet occupation of Hokkaido. A US strategic researcher also told me, 'If the Soviet Union had invaded Hokkaido at that time, a free and open Indo-Pacific would not have been possible.'" In his book, "The Last Words of Kiichiro Higuchi," General Higuchi wrote the following about the Soviet Union's entry into the war against Japan: "The Soviet Union launched a sudden and forceful attack, much like a thief breaking down a private back door. Such 'unlawful behavior' cannot be tolerated. If it were allowed, similar reckless and illegal acts by the enemy could erupt everywhere, making a 'peaceful conclusion' to the war impossible." Joseph Stalin led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953 . "The Soviets are capable of committing such outrageous acts without hesitation. They are not gentlemen, but fearsome lawbreakers." After the war, Stalin demanded that Lieutenant General Higuchi be handed over as a "war criminal." But General Douglas MacArthur of the GHQ refused. One reason for this refusal is said to have been pressure from Jewish organizations, which opposed Higuchi's extradition. Eighty years after the end of the war, Japan's security environment continues to deteriorate. Some media outlets and commentators, as in previous years, prominently emphasize "peace" while questioning the development of the country's defense capabilities. For them, General Higuchi's book also contains the following pertinent recollection: "In the Japan of the past, there was an ideal. Even if that ideal sometimes went too far, there was a clear goal to strive toward, and life was not spent in mere drunken dreams. Today, that has been completely lost. And people live like beasts — or like birds — simply enjoying each day as it comes. Can such people truly have any value in existence?" He also wrote the following about the Constitution of Japan: "The preamble of this Constitution can generally be seen as a written version of the Potsdam Declaration, essentially saying, 'We were wrong. From now on, we will follow what the United States says.' Such content does not belong in the constitution of a sovereign nation." "In placing too much emphasis on pacifism, it has degraded into a submissive 'anti-war principle,' relying on the goodwill of other nations to ensure security and survival. This is far too servile and detached from reality." Lieutenant General Higuchi in his later years. (courtesy of Ryuichi Higuchi) "If our homeland, Japan, is to truly restore its independence, then naturally a constitution must be created that aligns with the spirit of the Japanese people." To safeguard peace and protect Japan and its people today, should we not look to Lieutenant General Higuchi's words for guidance? "Looking at the international situation, wars are breaking out all over the world. Around Japan, Russia, China, and North Korea are allied in ways we cannot predict. There is also concern over a potential crisis in Taiwan. This is no time to preach peace alone," Higuchi said. "My grandfather, operating within a rigid, top-down military system, was able to think for himself and make independent decisions. He was truly unique. Even from the perspective of his grandson, he was an extraordinary person," he added. "If he were alive today, I think he would say to Japan: 'It's time to stop being complacent about peace and seriously consider the country's geopolitical risks in the world.'" The Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi Memorial Foundation is working to erect a bronze statue honoring General Higuchi at Sapporo Gokoku Shrine in Sapporo, Hokkaido. For more details, please visit the foundation's website: Author: Masashi Yano このページを 日本語 で読む
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Madonna urges the pope to visit Gaza ‘before it's too late'
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Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Hatred taught in our schools
Antisemitism doesn't come out of nowhere and a disturbing federal study suggests one of the places it's being taught is in our schools. Photo by Getty Images Antisemitism doesn't come out of nowhere, it has to be taught, and a disturbing federal study suggests one of the places it's being taught is in our schools. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account That's in Ontario, although there's no reason to think the phenomenon is confined to one province. The recent study — Antisemitism in Ontario's K-12 Schools — by University of Toronto sociology professor Robert Brym, who has published more than 200 academic papers, was commissioned by Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy on combatting antisemitism, before she resigned last month. Brym surveyed 599 Jewish parents who reported 781 antisemitic incidents in Ontario's kindergarten to Grade 12 education system, occurring between October 2023 (Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel occurred on Oct. 7, 2023) and January, after seeking input through 257 Jewish organizations. Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Among his findings, a six-year-old girl was told by her teacher she was only half-human because one of her parents is Jewish. Another teacher told a different six-year-old girl, who was wearing a necklace with a pendant in the shape of a map of Israel, that it was a map of Palestine, and that the Hebrew school teachers who gave it to her were 'lying.' Overall, Brym reported nearly one in six antisemitic incidents cited in his research were 'initiated or approved by a teacher or involved a school-sanctioned activity.' As disturbing, in six of 10 reported cases of antisemitism, the schools involved either didn't investigate, denied it was antisemitism, or punished the victims by recommending they take remote classes or switch schools, rather than the perpetrators. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Brym noted Toronto's public school board, which recorded the highest number of antisemitic incidents, uses a narrow definition of Jewish identity and thus doesn't count many attacks on Jewish students as antisemitic, 'even if they are clearly motivated by antisemitism.' He suspects the number of antisemitic incidents is higher than officially reported given that many parents and children told him they were reluctant to complain for fear of reprisals if their names became public. Given that Statistics Canada reports that while Jews make up 1% of Canada's population, 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes today are aimed at them, what are Ontario schools, and the provincial government, doing to address this? The same question should be asked in every province. Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Celebrity Canada
