Cool Jew Papa's Day Giveaway

June, 21, 2009 Happy Father's Day!

Congratulations to Randie K. and her husband Larry of Portland, OR for winning the Cool Jew Papa's Day Giveaway!

Once again, we are really touched by the thoughtful answers to our question about what makes your special man a cool Jew. Each entrant get's a $10 gift code for ModernTribe.com. I have tried to contact each of you individually. If you haven't heard from me, please email me for your code: Jennie@ModernTribe.com.

randiedoula said...

The reason my husband is the coolest Jew is that he wasn't a Jew when we met. In fact, I am not sure that my favorite Oregonian knew any Jews before we met! But I can tell you, after 7 years of marriage and two beautiful Jewish daughters, never was there a finer husband and father. He goes to services because he wants to, not because I tell him to. He's sad it's the summer because Mishpicha Minyan is over until the fall. He reminds me to light candles. He spent hours with me, pouring over name books to pick out the perfect Hebrew names for our children. He may not be Jewish by birth but his spirit sure is.

---

Seven Mensches and two Mamalahs have contributed over $240 worth of gifts to giveaway to one lucky guy. Comment on this post and answer this question:

"What makes your dad, brother, cousin, friend or husband a cool Jew?"

A winner will be chosen from the answers and announced on Father's Day, Sunday, June 21.

Cool Jew Papa's Day Giveaway
(click on image for a larger view)

The Cool Jew Papa's Day Gift Box contains:

* Author Sam Apple's book American Parent: My Strange and Surprising Adventures in Modern Babyland

* Author Ron Arons' Jews of Sing Sing book and t-shirt

* Stand-up comedian Yisrael Campbell's "Circumcise Me" DVD

* Comedy writer Seth Front's set of four Jewish Zodiac placemats

* Author Lisa Alcalay Klug's book Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe

* Author Matthue Roth’s novels, Never Mind the Goldbergsand Losers

* Entrepreneur Jennie Rivlin Roberts' ModernTribe.com products "Can!!Can" CD and Punk Torah t-shirt and "No Limit Texas Dreidel" Game

* Artist Ben Schachter's "Treif" stickers

* Singer/Songwriter Rav Shmuel's "Protocols" and "B'yameinu" music CDs and two t-shirts

Comment below to enter!

(Please make sure your email is available through your Blogger profile. If you are commenting anonymously, you must email us with your comment so that we know how to contact you if you win! contact@moderntribe.com)

Check back here or sign up for our Newsletter to be notified of the winner on June 21! (No purchase is required to enter. This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.)

What is Shavuot?

Beginning Friday evening and continuing Saturday, May 30th, Jews will be celebrating G-d giving Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai. Customs include (from Wikipedia article on Shavuot):

• אקדמות – Akdamot, the reading of a liturgical poem during Shavuot morning synagogue services
• חלב – Chalav (milk), the consumption of dairy products like milk and cheese
• רות – Ruth, the reading of the Book of Ruth at morning services
• ירק – Yerek, the decoration of homes and synagogues with greenery

• תורה – Torah, engaging in all-night Torah study.

Learn more about Shavuot from Katrien Vander Straeten from Suite 101.

The Origins of Jewish Shavuot

by Katrien Vander Straeten

On the 50th day after Passover the Jewish people celebrate Shavuot, a two-day festival that commemorates the revelation of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. Shavuot falls on 6 and 7 Sivan 5767, that is, this year (2009) on 29-30 May. Some Jews celebrate it only on 6 Sivan.

Many names

The multi-faceted festival is called by many names:

• Feast of Weeks (Hag ha-Shavuot) (cf. Exodus and Deuteronomy)
• Festival or Reaping (Hag ha-Katsir) (Exodus)
• Day of the First Fruits (Yom ha-Bikkurim) (Numbers)
• Atzeret, which means “solemn assembly” (Mishnak and Talmud)
• Festival of the Giving of Our Torah (Hag Matan Torateinu)
• Day of the Great Oath

The first Christians called it “Pentecost”, which (in Greek) means “the fiftieth day” (after Passover). The Christian Pentecost, however, is celebrated on another day (on the seventh Sunday after Easter).

The Revelation to Moses

Shavuot is foremost the commemoration of the day the Jewish people were given the Torah.

On the night of Pesach or Passover (when the tenth plague of Egypt “passed over” the houses of the Israelites), the Jews left on their exodus (Greek for “departure”) east, from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land. They were led by Moses.

49 days later, that is, on the 50th day, they stopped at Mount Sinai. These 49 days are still counted by the Jewish people in “the Counting of the Omer”. Moses went up the mountain and there was given the Torah. Jews (as well as Christians) accept that God himself communicated it directly and literally.

The Torah: 5 Books, 10, or 613 commandments?

What was the Torah that was given to Moses?

Usually the Torah or the Law of Moses (“Torah” is Hebrew for “teaching” or “law”) means the first 5 Books of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, or of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. For that reason it is also called the Pentateuch (Greek for “5 containers”). They are written in Hebrew:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy

However, this “Written Torah” can’t be the Torah that was given on Mount Sinai, because the book of Exodus narrates the event of revelation.

Rather, Moses was given the “Oral Torah”: 613 commandments (248 positive and 365 negative ones), as well as an explanation of how to fulfill them. These weren’t written down until nearly half a century later, in the 5 books of the Written Torah. The belief is that Moses wrote them down on a scroll just before he died, just before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land.

Another belief is that God said them to Moses simultaneously, in which case the question whether they were 613 or 10 becomes irrelevant. The idea is that all 613 commandments are included in the Ten Commandments.

The oath of the entire Jewish people

Another question is whether God gave the Torah just to Moses or to the entire Hebrew people present at Mount Sinai, some 3 million. Popular misconception (strengthened by Hollywood movies) holds that Moses was the sole recipient, but Moses himself, in the Written Torah, claims the latter.

Once the people heard (or rather, saw) the revelation, they all took an oath of eternal loyalty to God. That is why Shavuot is also called the “Day of the Great Oath” (“shavuah” means “oath”).

Older than Moses

Shavuot may go back even further than Moses. The book of Jubilees (6:15-22 and 44:1-5) describes it as a feast for the appearance of the first rainbow on the day God made the covenant with Noah. After Noah it was forgotten, to be restored by Abraham (Jub. 15:1), to again be forgotten again until Moses restored it, again.

A pilgrimage and harvest festival

Shavout is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals (to Jerusalem) that are mandated by the Torah (the others are Passover and Sukkot).

Connected as it is to the Counting of the Omer, which refers literally to the harvest (an “omer” is a measure of grain), Shavuot too is a harvest festival. It is called the “Festival of the First Fruits” (Hag ha-Bikkurim) because it celebrates the harvesting and offering in the Temple of the first fruits.

And the winner of the Call-Your-Mother Gift Box Is...

Congratulations Michael W. and his mother who have won the Cool Mamalah's Call-Your-Mother Gift Box!

Here is what Michael says about his mom:

My mother would truly love this gift box tremendously - I would love to even purchase one for her for Mother's Day. My mother was only able to have one natural child (my oldest sister) and adopted three others, and treated all four kids like they were their very own blood and none differently than the others. My mother has stuck by me and supported me all my life, albeit in times when she may have found it difficult to hold her tongue, she allowed me to fail in a way that got me to straighten up and fly right. She treats my wife like a true daughter and member of the family - and puts up with all the guff and never says a bad word about it. I remember as a young boy growing up in a reform jewish home, that whenever her father would come to visit from Chicago, all the pork products would have to be hidden so he wouldnt find them. And she was such an excellent cook and baker, and even had a lock on her freezer door to keep her children from eating all the goodies she would make in advance for parties and such. She is still a trip, I am glad she is still with us, and miss her dearly between visits.

She deserves to be remember every day, not just on Mother's Day :)

All of the Cool Mamalahs: Jennifer, Lisa, Maya, Doni, Meredith, and I are so touched by the entries to this giveaway. Thank you for sharing the descriptions of the special women in your life.

We would love to stay in touch with you and invite you to join the Cool Mamalah's Email Lists.

All who join this list will receive:

• $10 Gift Code from ModernTribe.com -- good for $10 at ModernTribe.com

• 50% off Gift Code for the Modern Jewish Mom's t-shirt when it becomes available this fall. Meredith (the Modern Jewish Mom) & I are planning a contest to develop a beautiful graphic design celebrating all Modern Jewish Moms. We will notify you of the contest and invite you to vote for your favorite designs. When the t-shirt is available, you will be able to purchase it for 50% off.

• 15% off Gift Code for the new Cool Jew t-shirt featuring the cover design from Lisa's book.

Join The Cool Mamalah's Email Lists

Email:

• The Call-Your-Mother Gift Box is presented by the Cool Mamalahs.

• You can purchase items from the Call-Your-Mother Gift Box on ModernTribe.com.