The Jewish festival you’ve never heard of – and it involves ice-cream

This weekend, the Jewish community will finish celebrating the two-day festival of Shavuot. Out of all the Jewish festivals, it is probably the least well known, despite being one of the most significant and one that is mentioned in the Torah.

Taking place seven weeks after Passover, Shavuot marks both the harvest season and the giving of the Torah – the first five books of the Bible – to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai thousands of years ago. It is also, somewhat inconveniently for the lactose intolerant, the great Jewish dairy festival.

According to Jewish tradition, when the Torah was first given, the Jewish people had not yet fully learnt the laws of kosher slaughter and which animals were kosher. In the lead-up to receiving the Torah, they ate simple dairy and vegetarian meals instead. As a result, Shavuot has evolved into a kind of glorious lactose extravaganza.

Cheesecake, blintzes, lasagnes, cheese pastries, baked pasta and elaborate dairy dessert abound. Kosher bakeries across Australia prepare for Shavuot the way florists prepare for Valentine’s Day.

One of the central customs of Shavuot is staying up all night studying the Torah. Synagogues open their doors late into the evening, hosting lectures and panel discussions that run until dawn. Following all night Torah study, there is an early-morning service.

On the first day of Shavuot, synagogues are filled for the reading of the Ten Commandments. Across Australia, many communities follow this with ice-cream parties for the children. As you can imagine, my kids are deeply invested in this aspect of the festival.

I have always liked Shavuot because it feels both intellectual and joyful. The discussions held overnight focus on interpreting ancient texts, as well as contemporary Jewish questions. Over the years I have attended sessions on biblical criticism, the history of Jewish mysticism, and Jewish legal perspectives on complicated issues such as voluntary assisted dying and abortion.

This year, synagogues are holding panels on everything from multiculturalism to professional life and contemporary social issues. Inevitably, after the horrific Bondi attack on the Jewish community in Sydney this past Hanukkah, some conversations will also focus on rising antisemitism in Australia.

Shavuot is also closely connected to conversion to Judaism. Despite Judaism not being a proselytising religion, during the festival we read the biblical Book of Ruth, which tells the story of a woman who converted to Judaism and ultimately became the ancestor of King David. Many synagogues invite converts to share their stories of how they found Judaism and why they converted. Those panels are always interesting and a highlight.

Mostly though, I love Shavuot because my kids love it. They are excited to hear the Ten Commandments in synagogue, they are thrilled by the prospect of endless dairy foods, and they are very committed to convincing me that multiple tubs of ice-cream are a religious necessity. Honestly, what’s not to love.

Nomi Kaltmann is an Orthodox rabbi.