The Asheville JCC celebrated Tuesday and Wednesday the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah. To mark the occasion, we served up scoops of milk and honey- and strawberry-flavored ice cream. There was also an informational Shavuot display in the JCC lobby that shared with everyone the original 7 early crops of Israel (as Shavout is a harvest festival that also celebrates the first crops of the season), the significance of King David in relationship to the holiday and ways in which the holiday is celebrated in Israel.
In addition to celebrating the holiday of Shavuot with ice cream, the JCC also asked for nominations for the Ruth Awards. The story of Ruth is told during Shavuot because King David is a descendant of Ruth, who was best known for her selflessness and generosity. Those named as best exemplifying the characteristics of Ruth were: Rhonda Diamond, Yael Baldwin, Rose Ortiz and Ansel Dellaguardia. We also asked people who stopped at the display which of the 10 Commandments are their favorite and why. One of our favorite responses was, “I like No. 5 [Love and respect your mom and dad] because I love my mommy and daddy.”
We hope you had a festive Shavuot celebration!
