SHAZOOM ONLY 6:30 PM May 22, 2026
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICT
From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur” CCAR, New York 2007, p.180
Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya’aseh shalom alëinu,
v’al kōl Yisraël, v’al kōl yoshvëi tëvël, v’imru. Amën.
May the One who makes peace in the high heavens
make peace for us, for all Israel and all who inhabit the earth. Amen.
SEFIRAT HA’ÓMER (Counting of the Omer) – April 2-May 21
We are in the 49-day period of Counting the ‘Ómer, which this year started Thursday evening, April 2 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 21 May 2026. [The ‘Ómer is counted each evening.]
Today, Wednesday, is day 48, and day 49 begins this evening at sundown. Before the ‘Alëinu, after stating that one is ready to count the ‘Ómer, the following blessing is said:
Baruch atah Adonai Elohëinu Mélech ha’olam, asher kid’shánu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivánu ‘al S’firat Ha‘Ómer.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the ‘Ómer.
After the first six days, one also includes the number of weeks that one has counted:
“Hayom tish’ah v’arba’im yom, shehëm shiv’ah shavu’ot la‘Ómer/ba‘Ómer.”
“Today is 49 days, which is seven weeks of/in the ‘Ómer.”
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-count-the-omer/ and other websites have more detailed information on Counting the ‘Ómer. Some emphasize the Kabbalistic and mystical aspects of this practice.
SHAVUOT – Chag Shavuot Sameach/Dulce i Alegre Shabu’ot/Gut Shavous
We are finally at the cusp of the Holiday that counting the ‘Omer has been leading us to, we rejoice in the giving of the Torah, which is likened to milk and honey. We stand at Mount Sinai with all the generations of our people to receive it. Shavuot is celebrated for one day in Israel and two days in the Diaspora, beginning this year on the evening of Thursday, May 21. Reform Judaism celebrates one day as in Israel.
SHAZOOM ONLY
We will meet for Shazoom ONLY this coming Friday evening, May 22, 2026. Please see the Shazoom and Observances schedule through June 2026 below.
Read this week’s Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.4.21-5.31, and Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.13.2-12.
Zoom continues updating its security and performance features. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this coming Friday evening:
Shazoom – Erev Shabbat Service
Time: May 22, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona
To join Shazoom click on the following link [you may need to copy it into your browser]: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/72510500854?pwd=Z3VQZWF4U1BBZytNYmh3aHFTWkFDZz09
Meeting ID: 725 1050 0854
Passcode: 4NrMk0
Hint: The last character of the password is the number zero.
YAHRZEITS/ANYOS
This coming week, 7 Sivan through 13 Sivan, we lovingly remember:
Cynthia Weil
American lyricist, wife of Barry Mann, cousin of Tina Rubin
Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.
“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.
SHAVUOT 2026 / שָׁבוּעוֹת 5786
Festival of Weeks
Shavuot for Hebrew Year 5786 begins in the Diaspora at sundown on Thursday, 21 May 2026 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 23 May 2026.
The festival of Shavuot (or Shavuos, in Ashkenazi usage; Shabhuʿoth in Classical and Mizrahi Hebrew Hebrew: שבועות, lit. “Weeks”) is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day G-d gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai, although the association between the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) and Shavuot is not explicit in the Biblical text. The holiday is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.
Read more from Judaism 101 or Wikipedia
Shavuot [שָׁבוּעוֹת] is known by several names: Chag HaShavuot (the Festival of Weeks), Chag HaBikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits), Z’man Matan Torateinu (the Time of the Giving of Our Torah), and Chag HaKatzir (the Festival of Reaping).
From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/shavuot
Shavuot, like many other Jewish holidays, began as an ancient agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. In ancient times, Shavuot was a pilgrimage festival during which Israelites brought crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, it is a celebration of Torah, education, and the choice to participate actively in Jewish life.
THINGS TO DO
If you can, for Erev Shavuot, decorate your homes with freshly cut flowers and greens as well as an abundance of plants. (In my mother’s Judeo-Spanish tradition, roses are used to decorate the home and adorn the Torah Scrolls.) Read the Book of Ruth https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth. Join an online Tikkun Lëyl Shavuot, e.g., URJ, My Jewish Learning, various temple websites.
YIZKOR/ASHKAVAH
In the Ashkenazi tradition Yizkor (Hebrew for “May he remember”) is recited for the dead during Synagogue services on Shavuot – on day 2 for those who observe two days. Among Sefardim, those called to the Torah may recite Ashkavah (אַשְׁכָּבָה “laying to rest”; the prayer is also known as Hashkavah) for their dead relatives.
We rejoice in the giving of the Torah, which is likened to milk and honey. We stand at Mount Sinai with all the generations of our people to receive it.
L’shalom,
Chag Shavuot Sameach – Dulce i Alegre Shabhu’ot – Gut Shavous
-Ruben
PS – Shazoom and Observances Schedule through June 2026 (Arizona Time Zone):
[May 21, Erev Shavuot]
May 22, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[May 22-23, Shavuot – Festival of Weeks]
May 29, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
June 5, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
June 12, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[June 14-16, Rosh Chodesh Tamuz]
June 19, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
June 26, 2026 – Shazoom ONLY at 6:30 pm
[July 2, Tzom Tamuz – Fast of Tamuz]