[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — This week I celebrated Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks (shavuot means “weeks” in Hebrew).
There are exactly seven weeks between Passover (Pesach, in Hebrew) and Shavuot.
On Passover, Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, and on Shavuot. G-d gave us the Ten Commandments, which is the basis for ethical behavior throughout the world.
This occurred over 3,300 years ago. In Israel the holiday is observed for one day while in the rest of the world Jews observe for two days. In fact, that is the way most holidays go. One day here in Israel, an extra day in the Diaspora.
Shavuot is usually celebrated by eating dairy foods.
That means everyone goes crazy trying to come up with a better cheesecake recipe.
And Now, Ta-Da, My Favorite
Of course there are other great dishes like cheese kugel (noodle casserole), fruit and cheese blintzes, and my favorites, fettuccine made with whipped cream and eggplant mozzarella.
Unfortunately, although the cheese and dairy section of the markets here are about twice the size of those in the U.S., with an unbelievable variety, the cheeses just aren’t quite the same. Recipes from the States have to be adjusted accordingly.
Also, if your Hebrew is limited, as mine is, then things get rough when trying to describe the cream cheese and sour cream needed for cheesecake. I ordered both from my local market, and I ended up with two different sour creams, one with 3% fat and another with 9% fat. No cream cheese was delivered even though I have bought it here on previous occasions.
Then I ran into problems getting large bricks of mozzarella cheese.
It seems that the only kind available were tiny packages of shredded.
Well-Timed Invitations
Just when I was about to give up, I got invited to other people’s homes for the holiday meals. Now I have a full year to plan my menu and locate the right dairy products for next Shavuot.
Another custom of Shavuot is staying up all night, studying Torah. After dinner at a friend’s, I joined a study group of women. We didn’t start until about 11 p.m., and by 2:30 a.m., we were all about ready to collapse from fatigue.
The men were in synagogue, helping each other stay awake all night.
Our study group disbanded, and we women walked home alone at about 2:30 a.m.
Where else in the world can a woman feel safe enough to walk the streets alone at that wee hour of the morning?
Ethical Behavior
There might be terrorism in Israel, but the crime rate, especially violent crimes against women, is negligible.
It makes the observance of Shavuot so important today.
That ethical behavior that has been passed down from generation to generation from the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments until today is very prevalent in Israel.
It is real freedom when a woman does not have to worry about being accosted, molested, or raped. It is real freedom to be able to walk freely and safely in Israel.
L'hitraot, Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, who recently moved to Israel.
