Reason for the Season: Shavuot
Although likely first an agricultural pilgrimage, Shavuot gained a biblical meaning corresponding to this important moment in the Israelites' journey.
What is Matan Torah / Revelation / Har Sinai?
Robert Zimmerman was born in Duluth, but the times, they were a-changin' and so was his name, to a much more goyische one for the music industry.
Who is Bob Dylan?
While technically Tel Aviv's metro area has more Jews, if we look at how many Jews live within this city's borders, it has the most Jews in the world.
What is New York City?
Although getting one is considered prohibited by most Jews, you are, in fact, able to be buried in a Jewish cemetery regardless of if you have one.
What is a tattoo?
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan and has been popular amongst Palestinian, Jordanian, and Bedouin communities as a celebratory and communal dish for millennia. It consists of lamb cooked in a sheep or goat yogurt. If it dates back all the way to Canaanite times, this might indicate that this unique kosher law was enacted to differentiate Jews from their neighbors.
What is the separation of meat and milk?
Shavuot also marks a specific harvest. There are hints to this specific crop leading up to Shavuot, as well as in its corresponding readings. The ancient Jews probably didn't have many Celiacs amongst them!
What is wheat?
Raised at Mt. Zion in St. Paul, this Jewish singer-songwriter now has the HUC Cantorial School named after her.
Who is Debbie Friedman?
FrozenChosen.org will take you to the website of Congregation Beth Sholom, a synagogue in this US state.
What is Alaska?
In the first season of Grey's Anatomy, a patient has a meltdown because her heart valve transplant will be coming from this treyf animal. In reality, the only prohibition Jews have is against eating this animal and even still, pikuach nefesh (saving a life) can override any prohibition.
What is a pig?
Deuteronomy 22:11 says you cannot wear textiles of combined wool and linen, so some Jews will still have their garments checked by an expert to prevent this, which is now just known as this.
לֹ֤א תִלְבַּשׁ֙ שַֽׁעַטְנֵ֔ז צֶ֥מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֖ים יַחְדָּֽו
What is shatnez?
One reason given for the copious amounts of this ingredient's presence in Shavuot festive foods is that it recalls the moments prior to receiving the Torah when Jews had not yet been instructed on proper kosher slaughter and preparation of meat.
What is milk / dairy?
This Minnesota Jew's fame grew mayorly, erm, majorly, when he told ICE to "Get the F*** out of our city!"
Who is Jacob Frey?
The Beta Israel people speak Amharic and introduced to Global Jewry the holiday of "Sigd," which is 50 days after Yom Kippur (kind of like how Shavuot is 50 days after Passover!). Over 100,000 of them live in Israel, while a little over 10,000 live in this country where they originated.
What is Ethiopia?
Kosher certification does not require food to be blessed by a rabbi, but this specific product must be manufactured by Jews in order for it to be considered kosher.
What is wine?
Call it a rabbinic loophole or ingenious innovation, this physical boundary that runs around a neighborhood, town, or city, allows people to carry objects outside of their home (like keys, contributions to a potluck, or your baby stroller) during Shabbat.
What is an eruv?
This is the literal translation of the word "Shavuot" - which is an obvious reference to the 7 of these counted from Passover.
What is "Weeks"?
It makes sense that we get the famous line "I don't roll on Shabbos" in "The Big Lebowski" since its filmmaking duo are Jews themselves.
Who are the Coen Brothers?
The Bene Israel have lived in this country for millennia, with their lore tracing their ancestors back to Before the Common Era. They are also known as the "Shanivar Teli" (lit. Saturday oil-pressers) because they were the only ones in their community abstaining from work on Saturday.
What is India?
After coming into contact with treyf (non-kosher item), you might have been told to bury an item in dirt, but the real way to re-kasher something is exposing it to this type of energy (via water or fire).
What is heat?
In some Jewish communities, women bring bedikah cloths to their rabbis for them to judge the color and rule whether or not she can immerse in the mikveh, known as this practice.
What is niddah?
Like many of the Festivals, this particular megillah from Ketuvim (Writings) is read on Shavuot. Some say it's because the main character is committing to Judaism and others notice the time of year that the story takes place.
What is the Book of Ruth?
Much like Rav Michaela, this Jew was born in Northern VA, but he is associated with MN after his time as a professor at Carleton and prominent DFL politician.
Who is Paul Wellstone?
Shavuot is known as 'Id-Zyara, the Holiday of Shrine-Visiting, by Jewish speakers of this language, since there is a custom to visit the graves of Ezekiel and Nahum during the holiday.
What is Arabic?
Because of its unusual neck, there is a myth that we do not know how to kosherly slaughter this animal and therefore cannot eat it. In reality, this wild animal is not eaten for more practical reasons (you're more likely to see it in a zoo or on a safari than a dinner plate).
What is a giraffe?
This fish continues to cause makhloket (debate), since its juvenile form has visible scales (making it kosher), yet its mature form appears to have more of a skin-like texture (deeming it not-kosher)
What is swordfish?