Shavuot and the book of Ruth

On Shavuot, it is traditional to read Megillat Ruth. Last year I discovered a great reading of Ruth by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi online. Here's the first part:



This Shavuot (next Tuesday night / Wednesday), get together with a few of your friends or with some people in your community and read through Ruth together. (Or better yet, watch this video!) Then try to learn from the redemptive themes of the story. Don't forget to discuss Ruth's role in the geneology of Messiah!

Shavuot is coming!

We're in the season of Sefirah, counting the seven weeks (i.e. 49 days) between Pesach and Shavuot. In Temple days, counting the omer would include setting aside the tithe offerings from the grain harvest. Nowadays, we mainly concentrate on prayer, giving tzedaka, and personal spiritual growth. (In some circles, people also temporarily become big fans of acapella music!)

Anyways, this may be a bit late in coming, but here are the top ten ways to remember to count the Omer. You can also sign up for the UMJC prayer campaign for daily reminders, or even download an app for your smartphone!

While you're passing the time, you might want to check out Tim Layne's recent posts at The Emergent Observer--some seasonal postings which are quite mystical:

• Mashiach HaTsippor, For Ascension Day
• The 10 Days
• The Seed of Mashiach

One last note: you may be excited to know that Roman and Alaina just announced that they're working on a folk album with a projected release date of sometime this fall!