Shavuot is one of the three historic Jewish harvest festivals. The name Shavuot means ‘weeks’ because it falls 7 weeks after the 2nd day of Pesach. On Shavuot, we celebrate the time that the Torah was given to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. Moses came down from the mountain and presented the Ten Commandments to B’nei Yisrael, the Children of Israel. In Biblical times, Shavuot was also the time when the Jewish people harvested their wheat crop and began harvesting their fruit crops. An important part of the celebration of Shavuot in those times was the ceremony of bringing the "first fruits", or bikkurim, of the harvest to the Temple as an offering of thanks to God. The bikkurim were carried to Jerusalem in beautiful baskets. When the families arrived at the Temple, they gave their offerings to the priests who would bless them.

There are many different names for the festival of Shavuot. Some of them are:
Zman Matan Torateinu - ‘Festival of Giving of the Torah’
Chag HaBikkurim - ‘Festival of the First Fruits’
Chag HaKatzir - ‘Harvest Festival’


Giving of the Torah to the Jewish People
The Torah is God’s great gift to the Jewish people. Through the study of Torah, we learn a set of relevant values and are provided with the opportunity to discuss sensitive feelings and issues. Torah study for the young child should be vibrant and exciting. The Torah is filled with wonderful lessons, fabulous personalities, and enthralling events.

Children learn by doing. The children readily identify with the Biblical figures and the Torah comes alive as the children become active participants in the Torah lessons. Young children love stories. By recreating the lessons from the Torah through their own dramatization, the young students make it their own. If we imbue in our children, a love of Torah study, the children are likely to develop a sense of the Torah as an integral part of their everyday lives.

Materials

Scenery, Costumes, and Props

• A creative mountainous, desert backdrop 
• “A” frame climbing equipment or easel covered with a large cloth to look like a mountain
• 10 Commandments cut from a 12” x 18” tagboard. Fold paper in half, vertically, and round the top corners. Open and write numbers/ Hebrew letters on the “tablets”
• Gray or black fabric or streamers for “smoke”

Bibliodrama of Giving of the Torah to the Jewish People
(Inspired by “Torah Alive!”)
Suggested Costumes
 

You may collect adult sized new or used T-shirts, old nightgowns, and pajamas. They are perfect for the long robes worn by men and women of biblical times. Long robes and vests can be easily fashioned from large pieces of all different kinds of fabric or old pillowcases. You may also fashion a “no sew” pinnie. (Directions below)

Seder Costumes-Directions Video (Good for any story from the Torah!) 

1. Cut a piece of fabric approximately 12” x 48”. (Based on size of children)
2. Bring short sides together, folding in half.
3. Cut small semi circle for head opening on folded edge.
4. Cut a slit on folded side, 1” from each edge.
5. Continue to cut or tear down fabric for approximately 10”.
6. Knot the ties to close the sides and form a robe.

Synopsis
Three months after they leave Mitzrayim, B’nei Yisrael enters the wilderness of Sinai. They set up camp at the bottom of the mountain. Moshe climbs up the mountain to God, and God calls to him from the mountain. God tells Moshe to tell B’nei Yisrael, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I brought you to Me. Now, if you will listen carefully to Me and follow My commandments, you will be My treasured people.” Moshe speaks these words to B’nei Yisrael and they answer, “All that God has said, we will do”. Moshe brings B’nei Yisrael’s words back to God. God tells Moshe, “I will come to you in a thick cloud so all the people will hear when I speak with you, and then they will trust you forever.” Moshe brings the people to the bottom of the mountain to meet God. The mountain shakes and smoke surrounds the top. God asks Moshe to come up the mountain. God speaks the words of the Commandments and Moshe tells them to B’nei Yisrael. B’nei Yisrael learns to live by these rules as they continue their journey to the Promised Land

Cast

• Moshe 
• All students dressed in desert garb 

Suggested Scene and Narration

For purposes of dramatizing the lesson, the teacher will be the Narrator or facilitator of the story. After reviewing the appropriate materials and gathering the necessary costumes, scenery, props, etc, the teacher will help the children dress as specific personalities and bring the individuals into the scene as the story unfolds. As the story is told by the teacher, the children will follow the action in mime and movement. The teacher may elicit dialogue through prompting, questioning, and directing. Generally, however, the teacher will need to recite all speaking parts, touching or looking at the person who would be doing the speaking. You may use the suggested dialogue/narration or create your own, trying to remain true to the text.

The scene begins with all of the children, B’nei Yisrael, assembled around the base of the mountain.

Narrator: Three months have passed since B’nei Yisrael have left Mitzrayim. They have entered the wilderness of Sinai. They set up camp at the bottom of the mountain.

God: Moshe, I would like you to climb this mountain and come talk with me.”

Moshe: I will do as you ask. (Moshe climbs the mountain/ladder.)

Narrator: Moshe climbs up the mountain to God, and God calls to him from the mountain.

God: Moshe, tell B’nei Yisrael My words, the words of God. These are My words. “You have seen the miracles that I have performed. Now, if you will listen carefully to Me and follow my commandments, you will be My treasured people.”

Moshe: I spoke with God and you have heard God’s words. What shall I tell God?

Narrator: B’nei Yisrael answered, saying, “All that God has said, we will do”.

Moshe: God, B’nei Yisrael has said, “All that God has said, we will do”.

God: Moshe, “I will come to you in a thick cloud so all the people will hear when I speak with you, and then they will trust you forever.

Moshe: B’nei Yisrael, you need to come to the bottom of the mountain to meet God.

Narrator: The mountain shakes and smoke surrounds the top.” (Shake the “mountain” and wave a gray/black fabric or streamers over the top.)

God: Moshe, come up the mountain so I may speak to you and then you will give My words to B’nei Yisrael.

Narrator: Moshe climbs up the mountain and receives the 10 Commandments:

Moshe: These are the words that God says: 
"1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery.
2. You will not pray to any other god but Me. You will not make idols. You will not bow down to idols.
3. Do not ask God to do something bad to someone else.
4. Remember Shabbat and keep it holy. You may work for six days and do all your work, but on the seventh day you must rest.
5. Honor (listen to) you father and your mother.
6. Do not murder (kill).
7. Do not commit adultery. (When you are married, you can’t have another boyfriend or girlfriend.)
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie
10. Do not be jealous of something your neighbor or friend has." 

Narrator: Bnei Yisrael learns to live by these rules as they continue their journey to the Promised Land.

You may want to play the song, “The Promise”, The World of Your Dreams, by Debbie Friedman.
“This is the promise that I have made to you
And you will go forth into freedom
You will be my people and I will be your God
This is the promise I will keep with you.”
(Deborah Lynn Friedman 1991)

Discussion Questions
• What’s another word for Commandments? *(Rules)
• If we didn’t have rules, what would happen?
• Which of the Commandments talk about a person’s relationship (connection) with God?
• Which of the Commandments talk about how a person treats members of his or her family?
• Which of the Commandments talk about how people treat other people?
• If you could add an eleventh commandment, what would it be?

Individual Moshe and Har Sinai Collage
You’ll need for each child:

• 9” x 12” light blue construction paper
• A 4” x 2” rectangle of white construction paper
• Craft stick
• Sand
• Glue with brush
• Markers

1. Holding the blue paper vertically, children may draw a large mountain, Har Sinai, leaving about 2” free at the top. 
2. Draw as many people, B’nei Yisrael, as desired at the base of the mountain. 
3. “Paint” the mountain with glue. Apply sand like glitter. 
4. Illustrate Moshe holding the 10 Commandments on the white rectangle. Cut out and affix it to the craft stick. 
5. Cut a horizontal slit toward the top of the mountain. 
6. Children will hold Moshe behind the picture and watch him climb to the top of Har Sinai as they push him through the slit from the back of the blue paper.

Alternate Activity
Group Har Sinai and B’nei Yisrael Collage

1. Cut a large piece of blue paper vertically 24”x36”
2. Children may draw and affix a large mountain, Har Sinai, using butcher paper. 
3. On a small piece of white paper, each child may draw him or herself as one of B’nei Yisrael, and affix the picture at the base of the mountain.
4. Illustrate Moshe holding the 10 Commandments. Add smoke and lightning. 

Eating Dairy foods on Shavuot
It is traditional to eat dairy foods that are made from milk, such as kugel and blintzes.. What s the reason for this? One answer is that the Torah is compared to milk, as the verse says, "Like honey and milk [the Torah] lies under your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11). Just as the body of a human being, such as a nursing baby, can be sustained by milk, the Torah also provides all the “spiritual nourishment” necessary for the human soul.

Noodle Kugel- This kugel is a staple in my family!
Prepare two 9x13 pans sprayed with non-stick spray
Ingredients:
16 oz medium egg noodles cooked
1 stick butter melted
6 eggs lightly beaten
8 oz cream cheese softened
1c sugar
2c milk
2c apricot nectar
Topping:
4c corn flakes crushed
1c sugar
2T cinnamon
1 stick butter

1. In a large bowl, mix all 7 ingredients.
2. Distribute mixture evenly between two pans
3. In a zipped plastic bag, mix the topping ingredients by ‘massaging’ the bag and sprinkle evenly over the two pans.
4. Bake at 350 for 45-50 min.

List of All Songs

Activity

Involve students in dancing the Shibolet Basadeh.
The Israeli folk dance, Shibolet Basadeh, is traditionally performed during the Omer Ceremony (common on kibbutzim) in Israel. It is a revival of an ancient ritual when the first sheaves of barley were cut in the fields and presented to the Holy Temple.

Dance: Leah Bergstein
Formation: Circle, arms extended at shoulder lever, palms touching.
*=substitute directions for young children

Part One: Move CCW
1 R to R side
2 Close L to R
3-6 Repeat 1-2 (3x)
7 R to R side
8 Hop on R with ½ turn to R. Keep arms in same position
*7-8 Jump, jump (in place). No turning.
9-16 Repeat 1-8, starting L, facing out
*9-16  Repeat modified steps (1-8) without turning and continue moving CCW 17-32 Repeat 1-16

Part Two: Join hands, face and move CCW while skipping
1-2 Step R, hop fwd
3-4 Step L, hop fwd and turn ½ turn to L
5-6 Step R, hop bkwd
7-8 Step L, hop bkwd and turn ½ turn to R
9-16 Repeat 1-16
17-20 Face Center. 2 step hops fwd (RL). Raise arms.
21-24 Step hop bkwd 2x (RL). Lower arms
25-26 Stamp R in place
27-28 Stamp L in place. Resume original hand position.

* PJ library Books