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Torah versus Cheesecake – Is Tikkun Leil Shavuot taking over as the symbol of this holiday?
Tikkun Leil Shavuot, studying sacred texts into the wee hours of the morning on Shavuot eve, has become so popular in Israel that cheesecake may no longer be the secular Israeli’s main association with the holiday. Adopted years ago by the secular “Jewish bookshelf” movement as one of their first steps into the world of Torah study, the growing participation in Shavuot tikkunim may be seen as a symbol of Jewish renaissance in Israel. From modest study groups in community centers, schools, and batei midrash, to multiple tracks of lectures and discussion panels, musical performances and films, tikkun programs sponsored by pluralistic organizations can be found in many communities. This tradition, once confined to the Orthodox world, was first practiced in the sixteenth century. An innovation started by Rabbi Joseph Karo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, tikkunim used to be devoted to the study of a predefined set of texts. Today, they include readings from the works of modern Israeli poets, along with the study of Bible, Mishna, Talmud, and any text and any subject connected to Judaism. This year, not only were tikkunim advertised in the media, but several organizations’ offerings made the entertainment listings of daily newspapers. For example, the front page of a Tel Aviv area entertainment magazine, Achbar Ha-Ir, which is usually devoted to the “hottest” event of the week, carried an article about the tradition and highlighted two tikkunim in this “secular” city. Beit Daniel, a Progressive (Reform) congregation, offered lectures and discussions by journalists, writers, and professors, alongside performances by popular groups, all around the theme of “Jewish dreamers and dreams.” The evening began at 10:00 pm and ended at 5:30 am with a creative shacharit service. Alma College, which has also been drawing increasingly larger crowds every Shavuot, held their tikkun at the Tel Aviv Museum. Their program featured, among others, popular singers Shlomo Artzi and Yehudit Ravits, discussions and readings devoted to the Book of Ruth, and a gamut of discussions and lectures, as well as music and dance performances in the exhibition halls. Not to be outdone, Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem also advertised their tikkun in the national press, inviting the public to partake of a wide variety of lectures, tours, performances of ethnic and world music, theater and art. At the beginning of May, the Israel Association of Community Centers held a training session for professionals as well as community leaders interested in leading tikkunim in their communities. Sponsored by the Association’s Jewish Renaissance Project, the purpose was to teach them how to run a tikkun. Based on a booklet put out by the Project, the session presented activities that could be included in a tikkun: readings, singing, study, and even films – and suggested including dairy dishes and wine in the menu. Through the Project, community centers around the country have been sponsoring other holiday related events to bring Jewish knowledge to the public, mainly new immigrants and the senior population. For the past several years, the community centers in Ramat Hasharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, have been offering tikkunim in conjunction with Chochmat Halev, a secular community devoted to Jewish learning and community service. They started off modestly with a night of study that emphasized the historic and symbolic yearly renewal of receiving the Torah. This year their Shavuot program has expanded to include lectures and a trip to the Wall in Jerusalem at 3:00am to “receive the torah.” Borrowing from the theme of the Passover seder, their announcement for the tikkun declared: “Every generation sees themselves as leaving Egypt, and as receiving the Torah.” In addition to tikkunim of various kinds, several organizations held study sessions in preparation for the holiday. On the Sunday before Shavuot, the Yaakov Herzog Center had an evening called “Days of Hesed (grace)” devoted to the study of the Book of Ruth. Ruth was also the theme at Bina, where music was combined with study. In Tivon, too, Ruth was the focus of a study session for women only. The evening, which included two lectures and music, was sponsored by the beit midrash for women at the Midrasha at Oranim and focused on the issues of exile, conversion and identity. These are only a few examples of the Shavuot related events available around the country. Thanks to the tikkunim that encompass broad aspects of Jewish and Israeli culture, the once neglected holiday of Shavuot is no longer associated solely with mom’s cheesecake.
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