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SWEET BREADS
BAKED AND ENJOYED BY MONROE CHILDREN
Eitz Chaim marked the holiday of Shavuot, the ancient Jewish festival that celebrates the giving of the Law (the Ten Commandments) at Mount Sinai.
Shavuot is a Hebrew word meaning, "weeks," denoting the seven weeks counted from the time of the second Passover seder, until the offering of the first cut of the barley harvest (as well as the first of all produce harvested for the season). It is this agricultural festival that was celebrated in ancient times in the land of Israel, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. The first fruits, or bikurim, were brought by the Israelites to the High Priest as an offering thanking G-d for the bounteous harvest.
Eitz Chaim's children marked the holiday in two ways: By braiding, baking and best of all, eating - honeyed challahs, the special bread eaten on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.
The kids then created artistic bikurim, or "first fruit" baskets, which they then brought up to the bima, or pulpit, symbolizing the bringing of first fruits by their Israelite ancestors to the ancient temple in Jerusalem. Steven Schulberg, a young adult member of the congregation, taught the children the meaning of Shavuot as they exchanged their "fruit baskets" for sweet treats.
A delicious time was had by all!
Text Copyright Abby Wolf 2007
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Congregation Eitz Chaim, 1465 Orange Turnpike, Monroe, New York, (845) 783-7424
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