Celebrate Lag B’Omer and Shavuot with PJ Library and Our Partners!

Lag B’Omer is a joyful Jewish holiday that takes place in the springtime. The meaning of “Lag” is “thirty-three,” derived from gematria, a system of associating each Hebrew letter with a number. “B’Omer” means “of the Omer,” the Omer being the forty-nine-day period between Passover and Shavuot. Thus, Lag B’Omer is the thirty-third day of this period. Ways of celebrating include campfires, archery, hikes and getting a haircut. Lag B’Omer begins Monday, May 8^th at sundown.

On Shavuot (the “Feast of Weeks”), we celebrate the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the first fruits of the late spring harvest. It is a holiday about food, setting up rules to live by, and reading—it is perfect for celebrating with kids! We do this with dairy foods, all-night reading sessions, family hikes, and wearing flower crowns. The holiday starts on Thursday, May 25^th at sundown. (Holiday descriptions courtesy PJ Library)

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and PJ Library are here to help you celebrate these holidays.

Jump to the section  you want:

• Holiday Events
• Celebrating These Holidays With Your Family
• Celebrating Shavuot with Your Grandchildren

Family-Friendly Holiday Events

This list will be updated as events are posted. All events are cosponsored by PJ Library in Greater Washington.

The ages listed with each program are recommendations for who would most appreciate the program, but all are welcome.

Bim Bom Bag: Lag B’Omer and Shavuot Edition

Order by May 10^th; join an online celebration, Thursday, May 18^that 4:30 PM

Enjoy a bag-tastic and exciting opportunity to learn about Jewish customs and holidays through arts & crafts, stories, and discussions. When you sign up, we will provide Shavuot and Lag B’Omer themed arts & crafts activities to work on independently with your child(ren). A few days later, we will get together on Zoom to share our creative crafts, read a story, and learn cool facts about the holidays.

MoCo families sign up with the Bender JCC

VA families sign up with the Pozez JCC

Young Families Pre-Shavuot Celebration

Saturday, May 20^th | 5:30 PM
Hill Havurah (Reformation, 212 E. Capitol St, NE, Washington, DC)
$5/ticket

Cookies and Milk for Shavuot

Sunday, May 21^st | 3:30 PM
Captain Cookie and the Milk Man (2200 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA)
Each family buys their own treats

Shavuot Ice Cream Truck Party!

Thursday, May 25^th | 4:30 PM
Bender JCC of Greater Washington (6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD)
$5/ticket

Fun and Field Day – Lag B’Omer at Oseh Shalom

Sunday, May 7^th | 10:00 AM
Oseh Shalom (7515 Olive Branch Way, Laurel, MD)

Lag B’Omer Field Day Fun

Sunday, May 7^th | 4:30 PM
Agudas Achim Congregation (2908 Valley Drive, Alexandria, VA)

Lag B’Omer Community Celebration

Tuesday, May 9^th | 5:30 PM
Chabad Lubavitch of Northern Virginia (3939 Prince William Dr, Fairfax, VA)
$12/adults, $8 children, toddlers 2 and under are free

back to top

Ideas for Celebrating With Your Family

Here are some Shavuot traditions and ways you can make them your own:

Yom Habikkurim (Festival of the First Fruits): Another name for Shavuot speaks to it being a harvest holiday where Jews would bring the first fruits of the harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem. Celebrate our local harvest with one of these pick-your-own farms that have strawberries, flowers, and fresh produce.

Chag ha-Katzir (Harvest Festival of Reaping): Wheat was one of the items harvested and brought to the Temple. You can celebrate this by buying or making challah with your children. Shannon Sarna, author of Modern Jewish Baker, has some challah hacks for busy parents. Pair the challah with butter in a jar, to combine the wheat with dairy.

Receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai: Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Make your own set of ten family rules with input from each member of your household. You can also make Mount Sinai crafts to help your children remember the history of the holiday.

Flower Crowns: Legend has it that when Moses received the Torah, the barren hills of Mount Sinai burst into bloom. Celebrate with picking flowers, making paper flowers, and making flower crowns.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot (the practice of studying Torah all night long):  Reading Torah, especially the Book of Ruth, all night is one way to celebrate. Have an “all-nighter” by letting your kids stay up late reading, with no need to hide with a book and flashlight under the covers! Find a PJ Library book about Shavuot to add to the stack.

Eating Dairy Foods: There are many reasons given for eating dairy foods on Shavuot, but your kids probably do not need the excuse. Try an ice cream sundae bar to go with your reading all-nighter, or make some of these cool treats (dairy and dairy-free options). Kids love shaking up butter in a jar, too (and it goes great with the challah)!

Take a Hike: Emulate the Israelites and take a hike outside. Check out these kid-friendly local destinations.

Learn more about Shavuot on the PJ Library Holiday Hub.

back to top