Shavuot 5786/2026

When and Where

When: The first night of Shavuot! Thursday May 21 2026, from 9:15pm or 10:30pm until 4:50am

Where: This year we are hosted by Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel, located at 300 S 18th Street in Center City Philadelphia.

Registration

Registration is closed. For security reasons, only those who have registered will be admitted. See you on the 21st!

Event Details

Please note that the program will begin after dinner. Desserts and snacks will be provided overnight.

Schedule Overview

Time
9:15pm	Event start for early birds
9:30–10:30pm	Early-bird session
10:30pm	Event start
10:45–4:50am	Learning sessions and desserts throughout the night!
5:00am	Several local synagogues are hosting sunrise services

Classes

Note that this is a partial list, and will change as teachers confirm their availablility and class titles.

(Mobile users: You may want to rotate your phone to landscape mode to see the full table.)

time	class 1	class 2	class 3	class 4	class 5	class 6
9:30pm	Who Knows One? A Jewish Trivia Contest For kids K-8	Medical Technology and Halacha - Diabetes Sensors Rabbi David Seed	Poems of Hope and Meaning Nancy Leaderman	The Development / Evolution of Jewish Law Rabbi Kenneth Stern	When We Went Back to Egypt: The Legacy of Exodus Rabba Rori Picker Neiss
10:45pm	Watch This: Bringing Torah to the Stage For kids K-8	A History of the Jewish Diaspora Languages Isaiah Kaplan	Women Masterminds in the Torah Suzi Neiss	Jews in Baseball and Basketball Matthew Whitehorn
10:45pm, ct’d	Torah of the Wilderness. Why Bmidbar’s the best Jesse Bacon	Halacha in the Age of AI: Can Claude Be Your Posek? Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch	Seventy Faces of Torah: A Practice in Perspective Rabbi Lizzie Horne Mozes
12:25am	Western Values in the Bobover Iggeret Ha-Kodesh Chesky Kopel	Sexuality and Gender Identity in Jewish Texts Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein	A Judaism without politics cannot exist Zohar Hodkin	In the shadow of empire: a study of the prophets Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari	How the Torah Survived National Transgression Rabbi David Greenstein	Zechut Avot and what it means to us Manya Ort
1:30am	Mysticism, Mentalism, and Metaphysics - Oh My! Rabbi Steven Gotlib	Not in God’s Image: Rabbinic Humanoids & AI Russel Neiss	Please Forgive Me Yoella Epstein	Bleeping the Torah: Censorship in the Jewish world Tamar Fox	Does Studying Ethics Make You a Better Person? Rabbi Abi Weber
2:55am	Convo about Kavanah Timothy Tomer Yitzchok Cravens	Parenting Moshe and Esther from Afar Rabbi Gila Ruskin	Wrestling With Heaven: A Dive Into Tower of Babel Daniel Neiss
4:00am	Considering gender/sexuality in Jewish music Victoria Alfred-Levow	Be Your Guest Gaby Marantz	Coffee Break: A Latte Discussion on Coffee & more Michael Steinberg

Code of Conduct

All attendees are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct:

The expectation of this event is that all interactions are based on mutual respect. All participants are expected to engage in discussions with civility and consideration. Harassment in any form—whether verbal, physical, or implied—will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome attention, discriminatory remarks, personal attacks, or any behavior that may be deemed hostile, intimidating, or offensive. Protests, interruptions, and any actions intended to disrupt or derail the event/discussion are strictly prohibited. Disorderly, aggressive, or inappropriate behavior will result in immediate removal from the event. Participants must not engage in actions or speech that make others feel unsafe or uncomfortable. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment where everyone can engage without fear of exclusion or harm.

This community comprises many different perspectives and identities, and we should not expect to completely agree with each other all the time. Disagreement is natural, but it must be expressed constructively and respectfully. Listen carefully and speak kindly; we all have much to learn from one another.

Those who are not able to abide by these guidelines will be asked to leave.

Contact

Questions? Email info@phillyshavuot.org.

Archive

You can find information about last year’s program here.