PJ Library Lag B’Omer and Shavuot Resources

Shavuot graphic header with PJ and Federation logosCelebrate 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 Saturday, May 25th 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 Tuesday, June 11th at sundown. (Holiday descriptions courtesy PJ Library)

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

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Shavuot study sweets - square

Family-Friendly Shavuot Events

Please see each host organization’s website for details and pricing. This list will be updated as events are posted. All events listed with a location are in-person. The ages listed with each program are recommendations for who would most appreciate the program, but all are welcome.

Skip to This Week’s Events

Shavuot Through the Senses

Sunday, June 2nd | 10:00 AM
Edlavitch DCJCC
1529 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC

Join other families of preschool-age children for a sensory learning experience about the Jewish festival of Shavuot. Explore the giving of the Torah and the harvest traditions associated with this holiday through sound, sight, taste, and touch, as well as accessible texts and hands-on fun. Geared toward children ages 2-5 and their parents, but all are welcome.

Trail Tuesdays in Northern Virginia

Every Tuesday, June 4th – August 27th | 10:00 AM
Varied locations in Northern Virginia

Take a family-friendly hike for Shavuot and beyond this summer with Growing Jewish Families! 6/4: Alexandria, 6/11: Triangle, 6/18: Arlington, 6/25: Leesburg. More dates/locations at the link above.

Little Bookworms: Vienna

Saturday, June 8th | 10:30 AM
Patrick Henry Community Library (101 Maple Ave East, Vienna, VA)

Calling all book lovers! — Growing Jewish Families invites you and your little one(s) to join us for story time! You will learn about the Jewish holiday of Shavuot through books and have tons of fun.

Cheesecake for Shavuot

Sunday, June 9th | 9:00 AM
Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia (8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA)

Join Faith for a fun and delicious Shavuot celebration as we make gluten free no-bake cheesecake bites! This family-friendly event will guide you through creating these tasty treats, perfect for honoring the tradition of enjoying dairy foods on Shavuot.

Family Concert: Marsha and the Positrons

Sunday, June 9th | 10:00 AM
Edlavitch DCJCC
1529 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC

Join us at the EDCJCC for a free outdoor family concert in celebration of Pride and Shavuot and in appreciation of our wonderful community of EDCJCC families. Enjoy a performance by Marsha and the Positrons along with crafts, snacks, a dance party and more! This event is free but pre-registration is required. This event is sponsored in memory of Elona Shaffert by the Shaffert/Brenner Family.

Flower Crowns and Creamy Treats – Great Falls

Sunday, June 9th | 11:00 AM
Ice cream store in Great Falls, VA–location shared upon registration

Celebrate Shavuot with JFamily Ambassador Hanna by making beautiful flower crowns and enjoying delicious ice cream! Register with Growing Jewish Families for details.

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Get Ready for Shavuot: Picnic Dinner + Ice Cream Sundaes

Sunday, June 9th | 4:30 PM
Agudas Achim Congregation
2908 Valley Dr, Alexandria, VA

We’ll celebrate Shavuot, the Torah, Israel, and dairy foods! BYO Picnic Dairy Dinner for your family; play on Agudas Achim’s Jerusalem-inspired playground; go on a playground scavenger hunt; make a 10 Commandments craft; enjoy ice cream sundaes for dessert (at 5:45); and meet up with old friends and make some new ones.

Tie Dye Fun Fest

Thursday, June 13th | 5:30 PM
Temple Shalom
8401 Grubb Road, Chevy Chase, MD

Families of children 0-6 years old are invited to decorate Temple Shalom with chalk, enjoy pizza and popsicles, and do some crazy colorful tie-dyeing! We’ll provide plenty of small t-shirts to tie dye, but feel free to bring your own as well.

Story Time at the Capital Jewish Museum

Thursday, June 13th | 10:00 AM
Capital Jewish Museum
575 Third Street NW, Washington, DC

Playing is learning! Children and their caregivers are invited to join us for Shavuot stories, songs, and exploratory play as a means of reinforcing early literacy skills. Story Time is most appreciated by kids aged 5 and under.

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See more events below!

lag b'omer bonfire

Family-Friendly Lag B’Omer Events

Please see each host organization’s website for details and pricing. This list will be updated as events are posted. All events listed with a location are in-person. The ages listed with each program are recommendations for who would most appreciate the program, but all are welcome.

Lag B’Omer Picnic and S’mores — Lorton

Tuesday, May 21st | 5:30 PM
Park in Lorton, VA
(address provided upon registration)

Celebrate Lag B’Omer with a delightful bring your own picnic in the great outdoors! Bring your own dinner, and we’ll provide the s’mores and a cozy fire pit for roasting marshmallows and creating cherished memories under the stars.

Lag B’Omer CommUNITY Celebration 2024

Sunday, May 26th | 4:30 PM
Chabad Lubavitch of Northern Virginia
3939 Prince William Dr, Fairfax, VA

Join our annual family fun day with your Jewish pride and unity. The never-before-seen award-winning BMX bike stunt show will keep the whole family on the edge of their chair with flips, tricks, and kicks from the best BMX show! Take a ride on the kiddie trains around field, jump into the massive moon bounce fun zone, relax with your BBQ dinner in front of a live band, get your face painted and SO MUCH MORE! With Chabad NoVA, Pozez JCC, and Federation.

Lag B’Omer RSJ Nature Scavenger Hunt — Alexandria

Monday, May 27th | 4:30 PM
Park in Alexandria, VA
(address provided upon registration)

Join Growing Jewish Families for a Lag B’Omer nature scavenger hunt, where Russian-Speaking Jewish (RSJ) families can explore the beauty of the outdoors while hunting for hidden treasures! Discover the wonders of nature as you embark on an exciting adventure, perfect for celebrating this special occasion.

 

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.

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Family-Friendly Lag B'Omer and Shavuot Experiences Cosponsored by PJ Library in Greater Washington

Religious School Information Sessions

Religious School Information Sessions

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Coffee & Browsing at Merry Pin

Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Prenatal and Postnatal Group for Parents and Parents-to-Be

Thursday, February 20, 2025 | 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Wheelchair Accessible

Congregation Etz Hayim Preschool Open House (Arlington, VA)

Friday, February 21, 2025 | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Yedid Nefesh Friday Evening Musican Service

Friday, February 21, 2025 | 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

JFamily Shabbat Morning Schmooze

Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Wheelchair Accessible

Shabbat Family Jam with Morah Ariel

Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Campfire S’mores Havdalah

Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Repro Shabbat Lunch + Learn

Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Family Pottery Painting: Create Your Own Seder Plate

Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Wheelchair Accessible
Oseh Shalom Religious School Information Sessions

Oseh Shalom Religious School Information Sessions

Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Prenatal and Postnatal Group for Parents and Parents-to-Be

Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Wheelchair Accessible

Kol Haneshama Friday Night Musical Service

Friday, February 28, 2025 | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Den Vibes Remix: A New Evening of Communal Music + Spirit

Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Gan Shabbat with Morah Jen

Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible

Tot Shabbat

Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wheelchair Accessible