By: Nomi Kaltmann as seen in ABC Australia

21 May 2026

The festival of Shavuot is one of the most overlooked festivals on the Jewish calendar. It does not inspire the frenzied preparation of Passover, nor is it as prominent as Chanukkah. Yet in many ways, it is one of the most meaningful Jewish festivals in the calendar.

Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai to the Jewish people more than three millennia ago. According to tradition, this was the moment the Jewish people received not only the Ten Commandments, but also the ethical and spiritual framework that shapes Jewish life.

But somewhat delightfully, Shavuot is also a festival associated with dairy food. Walk into any kosher supermarket in the lead-up to Shavuot and you will find shelves overflowing with cheesecakes, blintzes, specially imported kosher cheeses and creamy desserts. Hosting guests usually involves elaborate dairy menus.

There are many explanations for why dairy became connected to Shavuot, but one of the most widely shared traditions is that prior receiving the Torah, the Jewish people did not know kosher laws. Faced with uncertainty about how to prepare meat according to these new laws, they chose to eat simple dairy and vegetarian meals instead.

Most synagogues will host an ice-cream and cheesecake party for the children who sit nicely in synagogue to hear the Ten Commandments being read. Needless to say, I don’t have much trouble convincing my kids to come to synagogue with me.

I love Shavuot because it is a Jewish festival that is unique is its intense focus on Torah learning. On the evening of Shavuot, synagogues and Jewish institutions around the world stay open all night long, hosting panels, lectures and study sessions on a wide range of ancient and contemporary Jewish topics. People spend hours debating Jewish philosophy, theology, ethics and politics.

One room might host a session analysing a tiny linguistic detail in the Torah, while another examines contemporary ethical questions through a Jewish lens. I love that Judaism has an ingrained culture of self-questioning, which is viewed as an indispensable aspect of striving to get to the truth. Topics discussed on Shavuot might include artificial intelligence, abortion, voluntary assisted dying, social justice, gender equality and free speech. Unfortunately, this year a number of synagogues are also hosting panels about rising antisemitism in Australia.

Each Jewish festival brings its own unique contribution to the Jewish calendar. Passover is dedicated to celebrating liberation, with families gathering around crowded tables to retell the story of the Jewish people’s slavery and freedom. Sukkot encourages Jewish families to sit outdoors in temporary huts, to remind us that we are living in God’s world and under God’s protection. 

Shavuot feels very different from these other festivals because it asks Jews not simply to remember the past, but to actively engage with it — to wrestle with inherited wisdom and determine how our ancient tradition and legal framework speaks to modern life.

As a parent, I find that deeply moving. In an era when organised religion is often treated with scepticism, I do not take for granted that my children are excited to attend synagogue on Shavuot, even if ice cream and cheesecake play a part in encouraging this attendance.

I also appreciate that Shavuot creates space for adults to learn together. So much of modern life feels rushed and transactional. Time is measured by productivity, efficiency and endless notifications. Yet on Shavuot, for one night, communities gather simply to think, discuss and study Torah, just learning for the sake of learning.

Shavuot may not be the most prominent Jewish festival, but it will always be a festival that is precious to me. It captures something essential about Judaism itself — the belief that education is sacred, and that Judaism survives not because it is frozen in time but because each generation continues to engage with it anew.