Shavuot
Our all-night Tikkun Leyl Shavuot will be held on the night of Tuesday, June 11th. We'll get started around 9pm, daven Ma'ariv (the evening service) at 10 pm, then run study sessions from 10:30pm until it's time for Shacharit (the morning service) around 4 am. As always, non-members are welcome ... please let us know you're coming, admin@kolnefesh.org.uk.
The evening will take place at a member's home (contact admin@kolnefesh.org.uk for details). Bring dairy or pareve finger food, snacks, or a dairy dessert (fuel to keep us going through the night).
Note that as we will daven Shaharit for the first day of Shavuot at the close of the Tikkun Leyl, there will be no service at our usual premises on Wednesday the 12th. A second-day Shavuot service will be held at 9.45am on Thursday the 13th (see below).
Everyone is also invited to our annual picnic and football in the park on the afternoon of the first day (this year, Wednesday the 12th). See below for more details, or contact admin@kolnefesh.org.uk.
The Kol Nefesh Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Once again at KNM we will observe the ancient tradition of staying up all night to study on the evening of Shavuot. Our midrashic tradition has it that the Israelites slept in late on the morning of the revelation on Mount Sinai and needed to be roused from their beds. For this reason Jewish communities around the world observe a "Tikkun Leyl Shavuot", loosely translatable as "Night of Repair", to make up for our ancestors' error. The night is devoted to learning, thinking and arguing. Each year at KNM we take a theme and develop it through the small hours of the night, hoping to gain new insights into some particular aspect of Jewish life.
This year we will take as our theme the Ten Commandments. We will focus on the eighth commandment, "Do not steal". Our rabbis interpreted stealing as kidnapping. We will discuss this fascinating interpretive decision and its ramifications.
Rough Timeline (subject to change)
9–9:15 pm Introduction by Rabbi Joel.
9:15–10 pm Study session
10 pm Ma'ariv
10:30 pm–11:30 pm Study session, followed by brief tea break
11:30 pm–12:30 am Study session, followed by brief tea break
12:30 am–1:30 am Study session, followed by brief tea break
1:30 am–4 am Final study session
4 am Shacharit.
Reminder: The evening will take place at a member's home. Contact admin@kolnefesh.org.uk for details. Please bring dairy or pareve finger food, snacks, or a dairy dessert.
Picnic and Football in the Park
Another Kol Nefesh Shavuot tradition!! Meet around 3pm in Stonegrove Park on the afternoon of the first day (this year, Wednesday June 12th). No football skills required!
Second-Day Shavuot Service
Services for the second day of Shavuot and Shabbat will be held at the Jack Block building (formerly known as Leonard Sainer) from 9:45 am on Thursday June 13th. The service will be followed by a light lunch and discussion sponsored by two of our members who are completing their learning of Masechet Avodah Zarah.
As always, non-members are welcome. Please contact admin@kolnefesh.org.uk.
