The Shavuot Holiday in the Holy Land

Shavuot celebration in Tel Aviv (1935, Israel
Government Press Office, HT: Gina)

"And it shall be when you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance and you possess it and dwell therein.  You shall take the first of all the fruit of the ground from the land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God shall choose to dwell in." [Deuteronomy XXVI:1-2]

During the days of the Temple in Jerusalem Jews were commanded to bring their first fruits to the sanctuary during the Shavuot (Pentecost) pilgrimage festival.  It was a joyous thanksgiving holiday.



Poster for Shavuot (1940, Israel
Government Press Office)

Children's procession in Kibbutz Ein Harod (1938,
Israel Government Press Office)

A Shavuot gathering?  Original caption: The Keren Hayesod. Agricultural Colonies on Plain of Esdraelon
 "The Emek [Jezre'el]." Zionist children at play. A spring group. Children picking wild flowers [Library of
Congress, circa 1920-1933]

In the early 20th century, the collective Kibbutz and Moshav agricultural movements adopted the holiday to exhibit their produce and farm equipment. The new "tradition" continues to this day.

Reader Josh Korn of Canada provided us with this picture and a request:

Kibbutz Naan, Shavuot 1932 (Courtesy Josh Korn)

This photo is from Kibbutz Naan, dated from Shavuot 1932.

I know only one of the people in the photo: the guy wearing glasses on the left is my dad. I'd love to find out who the others are.