Shavuot & Jewish American Heritage Month

Let’s put customs aside this time and focus on history. An article appearing in today’s Jerusalem Post reports how President Obama praised Jewish American Heritage Month -- a May event for the past three years. Having recently visited the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, my curiosity was immediately piqued: could there be some type of historic event connected to Shavuot?

Surf, Google and ye shall find… sure enough, on May 28, 1773, Rabbi Raphael Chayyim Isaac Carregal of Hebron (pictured above along with the poster announcing his sermon) gave a Shavuot sermon at the Touro Synagogue that attracted the attention of Reverend Ezra Stiles, who was Minister of the Second Congregational Church of Newport, Rhode Island. Reverend Stiles eventually became President of Yale University. This was not the first time that Reverend Stiles went out of his way to hear the visiting Rabbi. In fact, the two became close friends.

Ask your students to become detectives. Find out what these two close friends talked about. What important words are found on Yale University’s seal? Is there a connection to Rabbi Carregal? Is there a connection between all of this and President Obama’s reflection that “Jewish American history demonstrates how America's diversity enriches and strengthens us all.”

Speaking of President Obama, in his proclamation he also notes that the Jewish American community has demonstrated that “Americans can choose to maintain cultural traditions while honoring the principles and beliefs that bind them together as Americans.” That brings me back to holiday customs. I’ll see you next week with one more quick and fun Shavuot custom you can do in the classroom.

Le’Hitraot…Tami