“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream and for the Torah that G-d gave each and every Jew on Mt. Sinai 3323 years ago!” stated Rabbi Baruch Goodman, Campus Director of the Chabad House Jewish Student Center at Rutgers University. This Wednesday and Thursday, June 8 and 9 commemorates the holiday of Shavuot, the day the Jews received the Ten Commandments and the Torah on Mount Sinai.

“When G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people, the Jewish children were the guarantors. G-d knew that He could count on the Jewish boys and girls to make sure the Jewish people would love the Torah, learn it, and do its holy Mitzvahs (commandments),” added Rabbi Yosef Carlebach, Executive Director of Chabad House.

To commemorate this historic event, Congregation Ohav Emeth of Highland Park and Chabad House Jewish Student Center of Rutgers University are proud to invite the entire community to attend their annual Children’s Torah Rally and Ice Cream Kiddush Party, Wednesday, June 8 at 4:30pm at Congregation Ohav Emeth, 415 Raritan Ave. in Highland Park.  The event is free of charge, serving both dairy and parve (non-dairy) ice creams, and open to all Highland Park/Edison residents. 

As part of these two Shuls’ ongoing outreach efforts dedicated to sharing the joy and beauty within Judaism to all members of the local Jewish community, this Jewish Children’s Rally and Teen Torah Program will feature a grand “Ice Cream Kiddush Party,” and the reading of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew and English. There will also be cheese cake and an ice cream sundae bar for the teens and adults.

 “Our children are the keys to the survival of our people,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, Rabbi of Congregation Ohav Emeth. “Shavuot is the best opportunity to instill within children a pride in being Jewish, a connection to the previous generations as well as creating a sense of purpose and contribution to the world; to actualize the Divine potential for goodness imbued by the Creator within each and every one of us.”

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson stated, “In Jewish life, there can be no separation between morality and ethics on the one hand, and our belief in One G-d on the other. Unity is the very core of both our belief and our daily conduct, where the material and spiritual aspects of life must be brought into full harmony, with the spiritual aspect being the predominating and determining factor.

“There can be no difference of opinion as to the necessity to bring up a child in the proper relationship towards others, with respect for parents and elders, and so forth, from his earliest age. On the same basis, it is equally imperative to bring up a Jewish child in the spirit of Torah and Mitzvahs from his earliest age. Only this kind of upbringing and education can be called a complete and unified education, a true Torah-education. This is what the wisest of all men meant when he said, "Train the child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it when he grows old" (Prov. 22:6)

Rabbi Baruch Goodman, Campus Director of Chabad House at Rutgers, added, “This special holiday reminds us of the inner child within ourselves and the joy and excitement we should have in being Jewish and having G-d’s Torah. It reinforces the lesson that it’s never too late to connect to G-d and learn His Torah, because when it comes right down to it, we’re all really kids to the One Above – literally the children of Israel.”

Our Sages share with us a conversation that occurred between G-d and the Jewish people as a prerequisite to receiving the Ten Commandments:

G-d asked: “Who will be the guarantors?”

The Jewish people answered: "The heaven and the earth shall be our guarantors."

Said G-d: "No, those will not be appropriate guarantors."

They offered: "The merit of our forefathers, Avrahom (Abraham), Yitzchok (Isaac) and Yaakov (Jacob) will guarantee it."

G-d replied: "No, that will not do either.”

They countered: "Our children will guarantee it."

G-d beamed: "THESE ARE EXCELLENT GUARANTORS!"

Indeed, it was the inspiration and determination on the part of the children, while still in Egypt, to accept the Torah that merited their liberation from enslavement. Likewise at this time, our return to the Torah and its observance, while awaiting the Redemption, will hasten the coming of Moshiach and merit us the true and complete Redemption in our own day.

For more information, or to receive a FREE SHAVUOT HOLIDAY GUIDE please call 732 296-1800 or email . Make sure to visit Congregation Ohav Emeth on Wednesday, June 8 starting at 4:30pm for the reading of the Ten Commandments.  It’s not a suggestion; it’s a commandment! 

* Some reasons why we eat Dairy on Shavuot:

1.       The Biblical book Song of Songs (4:11) refers to the sweet nourishing value of Torah by saying: "It drips from your lips, like honey and milk under your tongue."

2.       The verse in Exodus 23:19 juxtaposes the holiday of Shavuot with the prohibition of mixing milk and meat. On Shavuot, we therefore eat separate meals -- one of milk and one of meat.

3.       Upon receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, the Jews immediately became obligated in the laws of Sh'chita -- slaughter of animals. Since they did not have time to prepare kosher meat, they ate dairy instead