Shavuot Dinner & Torah After Dark

A communal celebration of mass revelation!

Celebrate Shavuot with a dairy dinner, learning for all ages and some wild and crazy Torah! Don’t miss our special keynote speaker Rabbi Matthew Ponak, who will teach us about what it means to “Embody Shavuot”.

Join us for: 5:15pm Dairy Dinner / 6:00pm Mincha & Kids’ Story / 6:30pm Cheesecake dessert Followed by an exciting night of learning! Including: 6:45pm to 7:00pm

• Embodying Shavuot with special guest Rabbi Matthew Ponak (more info)
• Humble Pie and (Real) Ice Cream (arts & crafts for kids) with Andrea Scharfstein (more info)
• Holy Spoken Word: A Shavuot Rap Sesh for Junior High Students with Jonah Potasnik (more info)

7:45pm to 8:30pm

• Who is Rich?: Gratitude from a Mussar Perspective with Rabbi Ilana (more info)
• Obligation: A Jewish Mother’s Lived Experience with Dr. Angy Cohen (more info)
• Tor-Arts & Crafts: Not Just for Kids! with Jen Preece (more info)

8:45pm to 9:30pm

• Sh’viti: A Work of Art and a Moment of Meditation with Rabbi Russ (more info)
• AI vs. RI (Rabbinic Intelligence) with Ari Cohen (more info)

9:45pm to 10:30pm

• Midnight(ish) Snack with Danielle Braitman (more info)
• Late Nite Kabbalah with Rabbi Matthew Ponak (more info)

*Plus, a special Teen Beit Midrash, hosted by Avi Meyers and other educators throughout the night! This informal space for post-B’nai Mitzvah students is the perfect opportunity for teens to learn and schmooze.

Registration to join us for dinner is now closed, but you’re welcome to register to join us for our evening of learning.

Learning Sessions

Embodying Shavuot with Rabbi Matthew Ponak

Shavuot is the holiday of revelation—of understanding sacred truths. Rabbi Matthew Ponak will present a teaching and meditation on “hearing” these truths as part of the broader process of embodying them in action. 

Humble Pie and (Real) Ice Cream with Andrea Scharfstein

Kids are invited to learn all about the humble Mt. Sinai while making (and eating) delicious Shavuot-inspired dairy desserts. It’ll be the tastiest arts-and-crafts session you’ve ever been to.

Holy Spoken Word: A Shavuot Rap Sesh For Junior High Students with Jonah Potasznik

On Shavuot, Hashem gave us the Torah. In this session, we’ll be continuing the Jewish tradition of the holy spoken word- through a rap and spoken-word workshop and performance!

Who is Rich?: Gratitude from a Mussar Perspective with Rabbi Ilana

Together we’ll explore what mussar- Jewish ethical wisdom- has to say about how to practice gratitude, and how such a practice can positively impact our lives.

Obligation: A Jewish Mother’s Lived Experience with Dr. Angy Cohen

Mara Benjamin writes that “to be a Jew is to be obligated.” But how do we square this with a modern liberal world which holds individual freedom as its highest value? Together, we’ll start to explore some potential responses.

Tor-Arts & Crafts: Not Just for Kids! with Jen Preece

Join Jen for a hands-on workshop where we will make beautiful paper-fold cards inspired by Shavuot and matan Torah.

Sh’viti: A Work of Art and a Moment of Meditation with Rabbi Russ

Have you ever sat in the chapel and wondered what that strange piece of art next to the ark is all about? Rabbi Russ will guide us through the rich symbolism of a Sh’viti plaque, one more way to connect with Jewish spirituality.

AI vs. RI (Rabbinic Intelligence) with Ari Cohen

Your favourite Shavuot game show host, Moreh Ari, is back! Compete with your team to see if you have what it takes to be the Shavuot champion- but don’t underestimate our newest competitor, ChatGPT!

Midnight(ish) Snack with Danielle Braitman

Since it’s been a couple hours since we last ate, Danielle Braitman will be leading us through an easy-to-make Shavuot snack workshop, with some holiday-inspired learning to boot. Delicious for the mind and stomach.

Late Nite Kabbalah with Rabbi Matthew Ponak

According to 16th century Kabbalah, the world came into being through the combination of overflowing divine generosity and much-needed limitations. Join Rabbi Ponak to explore these teachings and discuss their relevance for today.