Boulder Haver Shavuot Event

On Tuesday, May 18th beginning at 8:00 pm, Haver, Boulder’s Rabbinic Fellowship, will host this year’s Tikkun Leyl Shavuot at Rembrandt Yard, 1301 Spruce Street in Boulder. (Tikkun Leyl means “fixing the night of…”. )

Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Revelation on Mount Sinai. According to the story in the Book of Exodus, the Israelites fell asleep while waiting to receive the Torah. The 16th century Kabbalists (Jewish mystics) in Sfat began a practice of studying through the night, on the anniversary of the original event, as a way to repair the story. This year’s study session will once again be sponsored by Haver, Boulder’s Rabbinical Fellowship.

The evening will begin with candle lighting and a Ma’ariv (evening) service led by Rabbis Nadya and Victor Gross of Pardes Levavot, one of Boulder’s two Jewish Renewal congregations. At 10:00 p.m., Boulder’s Rabbis will participate in a panel discussion on “Hard Texts; How a panel of rabbis handle difficult and challenging texts”. The panel is always a community favorite.

Rabbi Tirzah Firestone of Congregation Nevei Kodesh (Jewish Renewal) will lead the study session that brings us to Hatzot (midnight), that special point halfway between sunset and sunrise when the heavens are believed to be open to the prayers of those who have stayed awake in study on this anniversary of the Revelation of Torah.

Throughout the night other teachers will be leading sessions, including Rabbi Marc Soloway of Congregation Bonai Shalom (Conservative) and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder of Kehillat Aish Kodesh (Orthodox) who, together, will be teaching “I am asleep, but my heart is awake”. Rabbi Josh Rose of Congregation Har HaShem (Reform) and Meira Chmiel, a rabbinical student, will also be teaching.

There will be two morning prayer services. Meira Chmiel will lead a service at Rembrandt Yard. Aish Kodesh will also host a mechitza minyan (traditional prayer service) just a short walk away, with a Torah reading around 6:15 am.

Haver wishes to thank 18 Pomegranates for their generous support to make this event possible.

Shavuot Services in the Boulder Community:

Congregation Bonai Shalom

Wednesday May 19th – Services at Bonai Shalom at 10:00 am (Please note the usual earlier start time and we will begin directly with Shacharit)

Thursday May 20th – Services at Bonai Shalom at 9:00 am  (including Yizkor at approximately 11:00 am)