Shavuot 5786

Counting and Counting: Several thousand years ago, all Jews then living, all Jews ever born, and all Jews ever to be born gathered beneath Mount Sinai to hear God speak to us. 

We celebrate this wondrous event every year on the Holiday of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, exactly forty-nine full days (which are, as we know now, seven full weeks) after the Holiday of Pesach.

And we recongregate to celebrate Shavuot just one week after we all celebrated Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day).

Shavuot (שבועות‎) occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. This year, Shavuot begins on the evening of Thursday, May 21. The festival days are Friday and Saturday, May 22-23.

Hag Sameach, Albuquerque!

Good Yontif, New Mexico!

Hag Sameach & Shabbat Shalom, Israel!

About The Calendar

This year, Shavuot Day 2 falls on Saturday, May 23. But in ארץ ישראל (The Land of Israel) - Shavuot ends when Shabbat begins, on Friday night. So in Israel, they'll be reading Nasso on Shabbat, while we in חו״ל (Outside The Land) will be reading Shavuot Day 2.

Which also means that thereafter, the Parsha of the Week will not be the same in Israel as it is elsewhere; Israel will be one week ahead. And it will stay ahead until Saturday July 4, when we join up again for Pinchas.

This, in turn, puts us in sync for שׁבּת חזון, The Sabbath of Vision, so we can observe תשׁע בּאב (Tisha b'Av) together as one.

In the meantime, Facebook's Hebrew Calendar Facts was proud and probably correct to tell us in 2023:

This year, Shavuot is on the Friday before Memorial Day (in the US), leading to a 4-day weekend. This has previously happened twice since Memorial Day was established as a federal holiday on the last Monday in May (in 1971): in 1982 and 1996. After this year, it will happen again in 2026, 2050, 2053, 2077, and 2080.

The configuration we've seen more in recent years is Shavuot starting on the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend (and continuing through the Monday for 2-day people), which happened in 1985, 2012, and 2015, and will happen again in 2039, 2042, 2066, and 2069.

The extra-rare one is when Shavuot starts on Sunday night, so (the first day of) Shavuot is on Memorial Day itself. This happened in 1974 and 2001, and we won't get it again until 2099 and then 2123. This is rare because Monday is the rarest day of the week for Shavuot (out of the days of the week that are possible).

And one person commented: In 2025, Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) will fall on Memorial Day.

This year, Memorial Day closes our four-day weekend. 

Memorial Day
Not just sales, barbeques, and pool parties.
Real sacrifice for real freedom.

First Pesach in Rhode Island

Passover Is Almost Here: A time when Jews all over the world gather with friends and family, to celebrate our Holiday of Freedom.

This year, Mr & Mrs Abq Jew

will celebrate Pesach for the
first time in the Ocean State.
With family, while thinking of friends
 in the Land of Enchantment.

Abq Jew here thoughtfully provides his and your favorite
three (3) classic videos. What would Pesach be without them?

1. Google Exodus: Best. Passover. Video. Ever.

2. Passover Rhapsody: Second. Best. Passover. Video. Ever.

3. The Passover Prank. Best. Passover. Prank. Video. Ever. For parents who (especially) miss their kids on Pesach. 

Who know that Zoom is never enough.

As the Seders approach, Abq Jew must remind us all
(he must! he must!) that Good News, Salvation and Comfort
are just one (1) Pesach visitor away.

?אחד מי יודע

Tonight Could Be The Night!

At our Pesach seders

we Jews have been opening our doors to Elijah for thousands of years.

We still believe that Elijah the Prophet will return tonight

and announce the Coming of the Messiah.

When that happens, our first question will be:

Did Elijah remember to send out a press release?

If he did — you may learn the Good News in a few days or weeks.

But you can always hear about Salvation and Comfort at

AbqJew.net & AbqJew.com

Your guide to Jewish life in Albuquerque and beyond

A Zissen Pesach, World!

Chag Kasher veSameach, New Mexico!

Happy Passover, Rhode Island!

Take it easy! 

You will perform Bedikat Chametz, burn the chametz, and publicly announce that any chametz remaining in your possession is 'ownerless property, as the dust of the earth'. Take it easy!

The First Pesach in Rhode Island

The Abq Jew Calendar Prepares

To Sign Off: It's been more than 15 years!

Abq Jew set up the Community Calendar at 

https://www.abqjew.com/calendar.php

to inform current, new, and prospective visitors and residents about Jewish events in New Mexico.

Specifically - Abq Jew set up the Calendar to enable Jewish New Mexico's organizations and institutions to coordinate their event planning.

Abq Jew has made the Calendar (and the Upcoming Community Events email) available to the world 24/7 for more than 15 years. 

From the beginning, the Calendar - and all of Abq Jew's work - has been supported by many of New Mexico's individuals, businesses, and Jewish institutions. 

Later, the Calendar was also supported by and shared with the Jewish Federation, and appeared on the Jewish Federation's website for many years. Then, the Jewish Community Foundation continued that support. 

But now - it's time for something new.

But it's not here yet.

To explain all this more concisely: 

• The Abq Jew Website will remain up indefinitely. But updating it will take place only occasionally, as Abq Jew's time permits.
• The Abq Jew Blog will remain up indefinitely. But updating it will take place only occasionally, as Abq Jew's time permits.
• The Abq Jew Calendar will remain up indefinitely (as part of the Website). But Abq Jew will not update it after March 30.

Abq Jew will continue to send the weekly Upcoming Community Events email until March 30.

Until then (and for all time) -

And remember - you can buy Abq Jew a coffee anytime!

Remembering Neil Sedaka of blessed memory

The Lights of Albuquerque

Like a Diamond in the Desert: Well, it's been more than six months since Mr & Mrs Abq Jew (and Ziggy, our Very Large Borzoi/Greyhound) said farewell to Duke City and the Land of Enchantment.

And you, Abq Jew's loyal readers, must be asking - what does Abq Jew, now happily living in the Ocean State, close to family, miss most?

First of all: friends. Being 2,167 miles away is not the same as being in the same metropolitan area. 

Second: the sun. New Mexico, with its 300-to-320-day annual average sunshine, was the original Sunshine State - we even had it on our license plates! - until the hot-and-humid state of Florida stole our nickname. As we all know.

And third:

The Lights of Albuquerque

This may be what Abq Jew misses most. Just remembering how he used to drive up Golf Course Road and make the turn onto Congress Avenue ... or drive down Davenport Street and make the turn onto Paradise Boulevard ....

And there was Albuquerque, laid out before him. Like a diamond in the desert, every time he saw it. Gorgeous in the daytime; absolutely marvelous at night.

And now there are tears in Abq Jew's eyes, just thinking about it. It gets worse when Abq Jew hears Jim Glaser sing about it.

Desert moon, lights the freeway up tonight,

Chevy van, how I wish that you could fly.

Gotta get to her and tell her I was wrong,

But I'm still such a long, long way from home,

And the road goes on, on and on, on and on.

But the Lights of Albuquerque, will soon be shining bright,

Like a diamond in the desert, like a beacon in the night.

And I wonder if she'll take me back, will she understand?

Will the Lights of Albuquerque, shine for me again?

Thinking back, to the foolish things I said.

Looking out, at the white lines up ahead.

Gonna tell her I can't make it on my own.

Oh, this empty feeling won't leave me alone.

It goes on and on, on and on, on and on

But the Lights of Albuquerque, will soon be shining bright,

Like a diamond in the desert, like a beacon in the night.

And I wonder if she'll take me back, will she understand?

Will the Lights of Albuquerque, shine for me again?

Yes, Rhode Island is beautiful, too.

And it's wonderful to be able to share birthdays, anniversaries, holidays - and just regular drop-by-for-no-reason-at-all days - with the family.

But then, there's Albuquerque.

To a safe, healthy, happy new year!