What is Shavuot? The Jewish festival that started hours after Boulder, Colorado, attack

By PETER SMITH Sunday afternoon s attack in Boulder Colorado took place hours before the start of a major Jewish festival Shavuot Agents say a man used a flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into a group holding one of its regular rallies in solidarity with Israeli hostages in Gaza Eight people were injured selected with burns Law enforcement officers investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday June in Boulder Colo AP Photo David Zalubowski What is Shavuot Shavuot pronounced Shah-voo-OTE Hebrew for weeks has been observed since biblical times It marks the passing of seven weeks days from the holiday of Passover with Shavuot falling on the th day In biblical times Shavuot was an agricultural festival when Israelites would bring harvest offerings to the temple Nowadays it s primarily commemorated as the traditional date on which God gave the Torah the law that forms the heart of the Jewish Scriptures to Moses on Mount Sinai as described in the Bible The -day time period gives the festival its Greek name Pentecost which is also the name for a holy day on the Christian calendar When is Shavuot Shavuot falls on the th of Sivan on the Jewish calendar which reckons days as beginning at sundown This year Shavuot began Sunday evening and continues for one or two days depending on tradition Related Articles Supreme Court won t hear challenge to Maryland assault weapons ban Wall Street drifts lower as oil prices jump and US manufacturing slumps What cases are left on the Supreme Court s urgency docket Here s a look What we know about the suspect and casualties in the Boulder Colorado attack This day in History June Queen Elizabeth II crowned For Jews inside Israel and for Transformation Jews the festival lasts for one day Other traditions outside of Israel observe Shavuot for two days ending Tuesday evening this year The variation stems from different traditions on when to observe lunar holidays which historically were based on moon observations in ancient Israel Shavuot typically falls in May or June on the Gregorian calendar How is Shavuot observed Jews celebrate with readings of the biblical book of Exodus including the Ten Commandments A few mark the occasion with all-night readings from the Torah and other religious texts Observant Jews refrain from work on Shavuot The biblical book of Ruth about a woman who embraces the Jewish faith is often read and studied Shavuot celebrations are often marked by the consumption of dairy products such as cheesecake and cheese-filled blintzes Explanations for this tradition vary one is that the Torah is like nourishing milk for the spirit Modification Judaism has traditionally connected Shavuot to its rite of confirmation for teens in which they affirmed their commitment to Jewish life Somber observances Tragically this year s Shavuot is not the first time in newest memory that Jews have marked a normally festive holiday in grim circumstances Hamas Oct attack on Israel claiming about lives took place on Simchat Torah a date when Jews celebrate the completion of their year-long cycle of Torah readings Sunday s gathering in Boulder was to raise attention for the hostages around a third maintained to be alive who are still being held by Hamas Sources What is a Jew by Rabbis Morris N Kertzer and Lawrence A Hoffman Chabad org ReformJudaism org Jewish Agency for Israel JCC Association of North America Associated Press religion coverage receives advocacy through the AP s collaboration with The Conversation US with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc The AP is solely responsible for this content