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Confirmation and Story of Ruth

    The Reform movement introduced Confirmation. The Ceremony of Confirmation became a special ceremony for both boys and girls. It was introduced to North America in 1847 in New York's Congregation Emanuel after being first instituted in Germany in 1810. Many conservative congregations have adopted Confirmation.

    They hold their Confirmation on Shavuot because just as our ancestors stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, so is Confirmation a time when Jews prepare to confirm their membership in the Jewish people. Some Jews confirm their loyalty to Judaism in ninth or tenth grade.

The Book of Ruth
     There are three reasons why the Book of Ruth is read in the Temples on Shavuot: 

  1. The story of Ruth and Boaz takes place in the spring, at harvest time, that is when Shavuot falls.

  2. Ruth was the ancestor of King David, and according to the Talmud. it mentions that David was born and died on Shavuot.

  3. Since Ruth expressed her loyalty to the Torah by converting to Judaism, it is appropriate to read the story of her life on Shavuot, the holiday of the Torah.

Ten Commandments 
     On the sixth day of Sivan, we were given the Ten Commandments:

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  • I am the Lord your G-d who brought you out of slavery from the land of Egypt.

  • You shall have no other gods but me. 

  • You shall not take the name of your lord in vain. 

  • You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy. 

  • Honor your father and mother. 

  • You shall not kill. 

  • You shall not commit adultery. 

  • You shall not steal. 

  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

  • You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Art and Crafts

Shavuot Basket

Supplies:

  • Plastic cap from a large bottle of salad dressing

  • Thin ribbon

  • Green yam Rickrack trim

  • Fruit and vegetable-shaped gummy candies

  • Blue pipe cleaner

  • Alphabet macaroni

  • White glue

  • Masking Tape

On Shavuot we welcome the first fruits of spring. Surprise someone special with this pretty little Shavuot basket.

Instructions:

  1. Cover the outside of the cap with masking tape. Glue on two rows of trim to decorate it.

  2. Glue macaroni letters to spell out Shavout on the outside of the cap.

  3. Squeeze glue all over the inside of the cap. Cut a 6­inch (15 centimeter) piece of blue pipe cleaner. Stick the two ends of the pipe cleaner in the glue in the cap to form a handle for the cap basket.

  4. Cut up bits of green yam. Put the yam bits in the glue basket to look like grass.

  5. Squeeze glue over the yam grass. Put four different candy fruits and vegetables in the basket. Squeeze more glue over them to hold in place.

  6. Tie a piece of ribbon in a bow around the basket handle.

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