By Debbie Schlussel

Tonight at sundown, the Jewish holiday of Shavuot [“Shah-Voo-Oat”]–also called, Shavuos–begins and goes until nightfall Thursday. So, I will be out of Internet commission and celebrating the Jewish holiday. I may still post something before the holiday begins and I have plenty of stuff you won’t find anywhere else that I’ve prepared in advance for you to read while I’m away.

Shavuot is the Jewish “Festival of Weeks.” It is also referred to as “Pentecost,” not to be confused with the Christian “Pentecost.” It is one of the three Jewish harvest festivals, and it is the holiday on which we read the Book of Ruth, about the woman who is probably the most famous convert to Judaism.

To my Jewish friends and readers, Chag Shavuot Sameach [a Happy Shavuot Holiday]. To everyone else, the holiday is a celebration of G-d giving the Torah and the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people. On the holiday, men traditionally stay up all night, the first night, in Bible (Torah) study, and we eat dairy foods. As I’ve noted previously, women can also stay up all night, and some liberal Jewish women do. But since we’re not obligated and I’m not a stupid feminist, I take (and enjoy) my non-obligations as a chick very seriously. It pays not to be a feminist. And this is just one more of the many ways.

To learn more about the holiday, go here and here.

Like I said, there will be plenty to read here while I’m gone so please stay tuned. And I’ll see you back in real time on Thursday Night.

Y’all come back now, ya hear.