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1
SHAVUOT: Celebrating the
Fruits of Our Labor
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Shavuot: Celebrating the Fruits of our Labor
Program Breakdown:
1. Introduction to Shavuot
2. Beyond Cheesecake: The Significance of Israel’s Booming Dairy Industry
3. Mischak HeChalav / The Dairy Game
4. Bikurim: The Species of Israel, The People of Israel in the Land of Israel
5. Song: “Saleinu al K’tafeinu / Our Baskets on our Shoulders”
1. Introduction to Shavuot
Shavuot is an important holiday on the Jewish calendar, celebrating the pivotal event of the
Jewish people’s receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai) and their subsequent spiritual
passage into “Jewish nationhood.” However other themes also abound, and we encourage
you to use Shavuot to explore the more recent birth of the Jewish nation, strengthened by
the Zionist dream and attained through exhausting, physical labor that turned the harsh land
of Israel into a welcoming home for Jewish people throughout the word.
Two themes will be explored in this session: the Shavuot custom of eating dairy products
and the Biblical practice of “bikurim,” the first fruits of the season, which the Jewish people
would bring as an offering to the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem. While these
themes will be briefly explained according to their traditional sources, we will more fully
explore these themes through the prism of Zionism and contemporary Israeli life.
We encourage you to get in the Shavuot spirit and provide a lite spread of dairy products
(cheesecake, cheeses, etc.) and foods that include the “Seven Species of Israel” (wheat,
barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates).
2. Beyond Cheesecake: The Significance of Israel’s Booming Dairy Industry
From its earliest days, the State of Israel was established through agricultural work, and by
the second half of the 19th century Jewish chalutzim/pioneers had established dairies. Today
Israel is known as a world leader in the dairy industry, and the Israeli people consume large
amounts of cheeses, yogurts and other dairy products. The following information helps
explain the history of Israel’s dairy industry and its connection to the Zionist vision.
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Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), often called the Father of Political Zionism, was the first to
actively promote the idea of a modern Jewish state in the Land of Israel. In his vision for
Israel, he imagined not only a physical home for the Jewish people, but a major scientific
center that would advance Israel and even revolutionize the world. Central to this goal would
be agriculture, the process through which the Jewish settlers would transform a barren and
harsh region into a rich and fertile homeland that would provide for and feed generations to
come.
The scientific and technological developments that would lead this transformation were
spearheaded with the establishment of the Mikveh Israel Agricultural School in 1870. The
first modern dairy farm was established within the Mikveh Israel School in 1880. Since its
humble beginnings over 150 years ago, Israel now supports a booming local dairy industry.
Today milk is produced on 940 farms, including family farms on moshavim and cooperative
dairy farms on kibbutzim, across the country. Many of these farms have been producing milk
since the heyday of the Kibbutzim and serve as an important link between modern
agriculture and the country’s founding Zionist settlers who labored and worked the harsh
land, with only an inkling of a dream as to the country that Israel would become.
The national dairy herd first comprised of the Israeli-Holstein breed, which was developed by
the Israeli genetic improvement system, with the cows adapting to the hot climate. Today,
the Israeli cow is considered a global leader in milk yields, with the highest national milk and
milk solid yields in the world according the Israeli Dairy Board.
Israeli supermarkets boast an amazing range of healthy and tasty Israeli-produced (i.e.
“local”) dairy products. This is a miraculous feast and testament to the ingenuity and
dedication of Israeli farmers and scientists who have adapted to the desert conditions of the
region: the heat, humidity, endemic diseases, and limited land and water resources.
Israel’s success in the dairy industry has not gone unnoticed. Countries around the world
have consulted with Israel’s dairy industry leaders and have launched Israeli-inspired
projects in their countries.
Dr. Joshua Miron of the Volcani Center’s Institute of Animal Science, an Israeli, government-
run research institute for the agriculture industry says, “Israel’s pioneering advances in
agriculture have developed very good relations with the world, including third world and
western countries. In the area of dairy farming and agriculture, Israel’s advances are a light
to the nations.”
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3. Mischak HeChalav / The Dairy Game1
This fun game will:
● teach students Hebrew vocabulary for basic dairy products
● give them insight into contemporary Israeli eating habits
● provide them with a cultural or historical fact relating to each item
● challenge them to use their Hebrew skills and the included clues to match the new
Hebrew word with its corresponding image
Playing Instructions:
Divide your groups into pairs or small groups. Print (in color) one full set of matching cards (8
Hebrew/Clue cards and 8 Picture cards) for each pair/group. Give each pair/group the 16
cards pre-shuffled.
Students should first read the Hebrew/Clue cards. If they know what the Hebrew word
means, that’s great. But all students, even those who already know the Hebrew word, should
read the provided clue as it provides some cultural/historical information about the dairy
product. Students should them try to match the Hebrew/Clue card with its corresponding
Picture card.
When students are finished with this short activity, review the answers together. If possible,
offer samples of some of the dairy products mentioned. Also answer any follow-up questions
students may have (such as, What is za’atar?).
After you have reviewed the answers and, hopefully, had a chance to sample some of the
items, you can go around the group and ask each student to form a sentence using one of
the newly learned Hebrew words.
You can write these sentence prompts on a board or direct them to their Otzar Milim:
I like _________.
Ani ohev _________.
Ani ohevet ________.
masc אני אוהב ________.
femn אני אוהבת ________.
I don’t like _________. Ani lo ohev _________.
Ani lo ohevet ________.
masc אני לא אוהב ________.
femn אני לא אוהבת ________.
I eat _________. Ani ochel _________.
Ani ochelet _________.
masc אני אוכל _________.
femn אני אוכלת _________.
I don’t eat _________. Ani lo ochel _________.
Ani lo ochelet ________.
masc אני לא אוכל _________.
femn אני לא אוכלת _________.
1 See the end of this file for the game cards to print.
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4. Bikurim: The Species of Israel, The People of Israel in the Land of Israel
Shavuot’s many monikers highlight different aspects of this important festival. Two names,
“Chag HaBikurim / Festival of the First Fruits” and “Chag HaKatzir / Festival of the Harvest”
hearken to the agricultural origins of the holiday, as related in the Biblical verse:
ציר כוריוחג הק ה... ב ד ר תזרע בש יך אש מעש
You shall observe the festival of the harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you will
sow in the field…
Shmot 23:16
Interestingly, bikurim / first fruits, does not mean the first fruits to be harvested in the fields.
Rather, it refers to the significance of the fruits. According to Jewish tradition, the bikurim
comprised of the Shivat HaMinim / Seven Species of Israel listed in this Biblical verse:
ץ ר ה א ט הוח ער אנה[ וענביםן ]וגפ ש מון ו ת ץ ר ר ן ודבש ]זית א מ [.תמריםש
A land of wheat, and barley, and [grape] vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of
oil-producing olives and [date] honey.
Dvarim 8:8
The following excerpt from the Mishnah (the Oral Tradition) further describes the Shavuot
celebration:
"The inhabitants of the district assembled in a city of the district and spent the night in the
town square. Early in the morning, their leader said: 'Let us rise and go up to Zion, to the
house of the Lord our God.' Those who lived near Jerusalem brought fresh figs and grapes,
and those who lived far away brought dried figs and raisins...The sounds of the flute
announced the pilgrims’ coming until they neared Jerusalem, when they sent messengers
ahead and arranged their first fruits for presentation.”
The agricultural aspects of Shavuot, beautifully described in the above passages, were
emphasized by the early ZIonist chalutzim/pioneers and on Kibbutzim. These chalutzim and
Kibbutzim were, themselves, consumed by an agricultural life inspired by their dreams of
creating a hospitable homeland for the Jewish people.
Early Zionist folksongs, such as “Saleinu al K’tafeinu / Our Baskets on Our Shoulders”
below, capture the chalutzim and Kibbutzim’s deep identification with Shavuot, while
providing a special snapshot of a period in modern Jewish history when a segment of the
Jewish people re-connected with our Biblical, agriculture roots.
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5. Song: “Saleinu al K’tafeinu / Our Baskets on Our Shoulders”
This classic Shavuot song includes beautiful imagery of the land of Israel and is filled with
agricultural themes and an air of celebration.
Teach the song using the suggested tips in the General Leader’s Guide.
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Our Baskets on Our Shoulders Saleinu al K’tafeinu פנונו על כת סל
Lyrics by Levin Kipnis Melody by Yedidya Admon2
Our baskets on our shoulders,
our heads adorned with blooms,
from every corner we come,
bringing the first fruits.
From Yehuda and the Shomron,
From the valley and the Galilee.
Move aside and make way,
we’re bringing first fruits,
bang, bang, bang the drum
play the flute!
Our fields and our gardens
have ripened harvests,,
our vineyards, our vegetable beds
have produced wonderful first fruits
Figs, apples,
grapes and almonds
Move aside and make way,
we’re bringing first fruits,
bang, bang, bang the drum
play the flute!
How lovely our dancing circles,
how beautiful our procession!
The harvest of the land is ours,
bringing the first fruits,
from the Golan, from the Bashan
from the Negev and the Yarden!
Move aside and give us way,
we’re bringing the first fruits
bang, bang, bang the drum
play the flute!
Saleinu al k'tefeinu,
rasheinu aturim,
mik'tzot ha'aretz banu,
hevenu bikurim.
Mi'Yeudah u’me'ha'shomron
min ha'emek vehagalil
panu derech lanu,
bikurim itanu,
hach, hach, hach ba'tof
chalal bechalil!
Sadeinu ve'ganeinu
hivshilu yevulim,
k'rameinu, mik'shoteinu
bikru pri hilulim.
Te'enim u’tapuchim
anavim u’shkedim.
panu derech lanu,
bikurim itanu,
hach, hach, hach batof
chalal bechalil!
Mah tovu ma'agaleinu,
mah yafu haturim!
Zimrat ha'aretz lanu,
hevenu bikurim,
mi'Golan, mi'Bashan
min ha'Negev ve'ha'Yarden!
panu derech lanu,
bikurim itanu,
hach, hach, hach batof
chalal bechalil!
,נוינו על כתפ יסל
,עטורים ראשינו
מקצות הארץ באנו
.הבאנו ביכורים
מיהודה ומשומרון
מן העמק והגליל
נו דרך לנו ,פ
,ביכורים איתנו
ך, הך, הך בתוף ה
ל בחליל ל !ח
ד ,וגננו נוש
הבשילו יבולים
כרמינו, מקשותנו
.ביכרו פרי הילולים
תאנים ותפוחים
.ענבים ושקדים
נו דרך לנו ,פ
,ביכורים איתנו
ך, הך, הך בתוף ה
ל בחליל ל !ח
נו ,מה טובו מעגל
!מה יפו הטורים
ו,זמרת הארץ לנ
.הבאנו ביכורים
מבשן ,מגולן
ן,מן הנגב והירד
נו דרך לנו ,פ
ביכורים איתנו,
ך, הך, הך בתוףה
ל בחליל ל !ח
View song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebqEYjWxi4. This is a contemporary rendition by the band
Shevet Yehudah. Only the first stanza of the song is sung, however the music holds it own and offers a great
example of Mizarchi music.
View song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnXNIeIJLTI. This clip comes from a popular Israeli children’s
series Rinat Gabai and Mimi. The song itself begins at 2:15 and includes the full song lyrics provided on the
songsheet.
2מלעלית )אשכנזית(. בהתאם לכך, הוספנו ההברות המודגשות בתעתיק הן אלו המוטעמות בשיר, המבוצע בהטעמה
וכו'(. nueinu, ktefeisal" במילים הנהגות בצירה בגוף ראשון רבים )iאת האות "
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Mischak HeChalav / The Dairy Game
INSTRUCTIONS: Make a color copy of all 16 cards. Cut them out and shuffle them. Give
each pair/small group a set of the 16 cards. The game instructions appear in the above file.
Shoko be'Sakit קיתששוקו ב
First Word: Sounds like the English word for the same treat
Second Word: An odd choice of packaging for this product
נה Labaneh לב
This Arabic word refers to the color of this thick spread,
often flavored with regional olive oil and za’atar.
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נה Gveenah Levanah גבינה לב
A lite spread named for its color.
10
ה Gveenah Tzehoobah גבינה צהוב
It doesn’t matter whether it’s sliced or shredded, this is named for its
color.
ב שקדים ל Chalav Shkedim ח
Second Word: While not one of the “Seven Species of Israel,” this is
closely associated with Israel, especially when its trees blossom during
the Tu B’Shvat season.
11
Katzefet קצפת
Like much of the modern Hebrew language, this word originates from (i.e. shares the same
root letters with) a word in Biblical Hebrew. The word from this Biblical verse is somehow
reminiscent of this delicious treat.
“Like foam on the surface of the water”
נ י מים קצף"כ ל פ "ע
Book of Hoshea 10:7
12
ב ל Chalav ח
Israel is often called “The land flowing with _____ and honey.” Though
in truth, “_____” refers to the refreshing drink made from ground
almonds and “honey” refers to the sweet syrup of dates.
'קוטג Kotedge
Great on bread, with salad, or with a side of olives, this has the same
name in English.
13
\
14
Otzar Milim
Holiday Words
Holiday Chag חג
Shavuot
(literally, “weeks”)
Shavuot שבועות
First (Choicest) fruits Bikurim ביכורים
Harvest Katzeer קציר
Giving of the Torah Matan Torah מתן תורה
Studying Torah Limud Torah לימוד תורה
Synagogue Beit HaKneset בית הכנסת
Festival meal Se’oodah סעודה
Mischak HeChalav / The Dairy Game – Phrases
I like _________.
Ani ohev _________.
Ani ohevet ________.
masc אני אוהב ________.
femn אני אוהבת ________.
I don’t like _________. Ani lo ohev _________.
Ani lo ohevet ________.
_. אני לא אוהב _______ masc
femn אני לא אוהבת ________.
I eat _________. Ani ochel _________.
Ani ochelet _________.
masc אני אוכל _________.
femn אני אוכלת _________.
I don’t eat _________. Ani lo ochel _________.
Ani lo ochelet ________.
masc אני לא אוכל _________.
אוכלת _________. אני לא femn
15
Dairy Products
Cheesecake Oogat gvinah וגת גבינהע
Ice cream Glidah גלידה
Blintzes
Blinches ס’בלינצ
Milkshake Shake שייק
Ice Coffee Ice kafe' ס קפהיאי
Yogurt Yogurt יוגורט
Chocolate milk (in a bag) Shoko (be’sakit) קיתששוקו ב
Labene
Arabic word; a thick,
spreadable cheese
Labaneh ב הנ ל
White cheese
A spreadable cheese similar
to yogurt
Gvinah levanah בנה גבינה ל
Yellow cheese
A category that includes
traditional sliced and
shredded cheeses such as
Edam, Swiss and Cheddar
Gvinah tzehoobah גבינה צהובה
Almond milk
A non-dairy, Israeli delicacy
Chalav shkedim דים ק חלב ש
Whipped cream Katzefet ת קצ פ
Milk Chalav חלב
Cottage cheese Kotedge ג ’קוט
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Song - Saleinu al K’tafeinu Words
Basket / Our baskets Sal / Saleinu ל נויסל /.ס
Shoulder / Our shoulders Ketef / Ktefeinu ף נו /כת פ כ ת
Head / Our heads Rosh / Rosheinu נו/ראש ראש
The Land (Israel) Ha'Aretz ארץה
First fruits Bikurim ביכורים
Drum Tof תוף
Flute Chalil ליל ח
Field / Our fields Sadeh / Sadeinu ה ד נו /ש ד ש
Garden / Our gardens Gan / Ganenu נונ ג/ גן
Vineyard / Our vineyards Kerem / Krameinu ם נו /כ ר כרמ
Garden bed / Our garden
beds
Miksheh / Miksheinu ה נו /מקש מקש
Figs Te’enim נים א ת
Apples Tapuchim פוחים ת
Grapes Anavim ענבים
Almonds Shkedim דים שק
How good, how lovely Mah tovu ה טובו מ
Circle / Our circles
Here it refers to the traditional
Israeli folk dancing circle
Ma’agal / Ma’agaleinu עגל עג /מ נול מ