Featured Programs:

PRO TIP: The Mem Global Resources page is your one-stop shop for Jewish education content and program resources.
Use the search bar to find exactly what you need or narrow results with filters by topic, holiday, and language.
Moving forward, all of our source sheets, and program ideas will live here!

---

Jewish Holidays and Commemorations

The Omer: (began at Sundown on Thu, April 2 and continues until Shavuot)

The Omer is a period of 49 days between the start of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. It is a mitzvah to ritually count each day, a practice which has been imbued with layers of moral and mystical meaning. The Omer is also a period of semi-mourning and some Jews refrain from joyful practices during this time.

• 🧿 📖 The kabbalists (Jewish mystics) taught that each week of the Omer we should meditate on a different spiritual quality. Hold a learning circle about these spiritual qualities and engage in silent or artistic meditation.
• 🧿📖 Check out these resources on creative ways to count the Omer.

Pesach Sheni: (Sundown on Thurs, April 30 to Sundown on Fri, May 1)

Pesach Sheni, or Second Passover, is a date on the Jewish calendar that comes one month after Passover. In ancient times, it was a make-up date for people who missed the Passover sacrifice made on the 14th of Nisan either because they were unable to travel to Jerusalem or because they were impure and therefore could not participate the first time around. Since Passover has not required a sacrifice since the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, the date has been less significant from a ritual perspective, but some still find it spiritually interesting or meaningful.

• 🧿 Didn’t get your yearly viewing of Prince of Egypt? Host a Prince of Egypt Movie night with a meaningful group discussion using this Prince of Egypt movie discussion source sheet!    
• 🧿 Host a belated Passover seder! (Reach out to your JLS for resources and grant support.) Or perhaps use this guide to host your very own chocolate seder.
• 🧿 Inspired by the themes of Passover? Host a Jewish Storytelling Night to carry on the tradition of Jewish storytelling.   
• 🧿 Got some leftover matzo meal or potato starch? Swap Passover Recipes with your community!  
• 🌱 Do some reflective Passover related Jewish learning on how to know and welcome the stranger to make our world a kinder place

Lag BaOmer: (Sundown on Mon, May 4 to Sundown on Tues, May 5)

Lag BaOmer: (Sundown on Mon, May 4 to Sundown on Tues, May 5) 
Lag BaOmer is a minor holiday that occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot (Click here if you wanna know why it’s called Lag BaOmer). The period of the Omer is a time of semi-mourning (Click here if you wanna know why!) and Lag BaOmer is a break from this period of partial mourning. During this period of mini mourning many Jews stay away from activities that spark joy like getting married, cutting ones hair, and listening to music. But Lag BaOmer is a 24 hour break from the mourning practices. To celebrate and lean into joy, many Jews cut their hair, get married, have bonfires, and listen to music on this day.  

• 🧿Pick from one of three ways you can host a Lag BaOmer Music Fest with this ready-to-go program!  
• 📖 Host a Lag BaOmer Bonfire paired with this awesome source sheet on Judasim and Fire or use this source sheet on Lag BaOmer Stories to Tell Around Bonfire 
• 🧿 Get outside with your community for a Lag BaOmer BBQ!  
• 📖 Try your hand at some archery or make miniature bows & arrows while learning about the Bar Kochba revolt.
• 🧿 Have someone in your community who cuts hair? Be a little unconventional and host a haircut party!  
• 📖 Host a Jewish learning event to learn about Jewish wedding customs.  

Yom Yerushalayim: (Fri, May 15)

Yom Yerushalayim or Jerusalem Day is the most recent addition to the Hebrew calendar. It commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty in 1967. It occurs on the 28th day of Iyar (six weeks after the Passover seder, one week before the eve of Shavuot).

• 📖  Learn about the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through an expert panel discussion or a book club/reading group.  
• 📖 Explore texts about Jerusalem from Torah, Talmud, and interfaith poetry.   
• 🧿 Write your own poem/prayer for Jerusalem with this ready-to-go program. 

Rosh Chodesh Sivan: (Sundown Sat, May 16 to Sundown Sun, May 17)

Start of month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar. Sivan (סִיוָן) is the 3rd month of the Hebrew year, has 30 days, and corresponds to May or June on the Gregorian calendar. רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.

• 🧿 Consider hosting an At the Well Rosh Chodesh Circle.  
• 🧿 Use resources from the Jewish Studio Projects (JSP) to host a Rosh Chodesh art making event. Or join check JSP’s calendar to join their online Rosh Chodesh art making event. 
• 🧿 Host a Kiddush Levana ritual for the sight of the new moon!   

Shavuot: (Sundown on Thurs, May 21 to Sundown on Sat, May 23)

Shavuot is a springtime holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Alongside Passover and Sukkot, it is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, marked in ancient times by the gathering of the entire Israelite people at the Temple in Jerusalem. Like the others, it is also timed to an important moment in the agricultural calendar: the first grain harvest of the season. 

• 🧿 Host a low-key Tikkun Leil with this ready to go Shavuot “Blind Date with a Book” Tikkun Leil program or if you’re community is looking to get involved host a Shavuot Tikkun Leil PowerPoint Party!!  
• 📖 Host/attend a full on all-night tikkun leil!   
• 🧿 Celebrate the first grain harvest with this Challah Cover Making program.  
• 📖 Screen or attend some of Judaism Unbound’s ShavuotLive programming
• 🧿 Host a cheesecake making or tasting party or perhaps an ice cream social to uplift the tradition of eating dairy on Shavuot. Consider adding some Jewish learning to the program with this source sheet on Judaism and Ice Cream!    
• 🧿🌱 Basket Beautification – get your crafting on and use recycled materials to make a basket for Shavuot (or to store something else)  

---

Torah Portions

Saturday, May 2: Parashat Emor – “Speak”

God describes the restrictions related to priests’ sexuality and marriage. God then describes a variety of holidays, including Passover, Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. God outlines the omer period, asking the Israelites to bring food offerings to the priests for seven weeks.

• 🧿 📖 Teach your community about the practice of counting the omer.    
• 🧿Make DIY Jewish calendars as your community learns about Jewish time and the Jewish holiday cycle. 
• 🌱 Consider hosting a canned food drive inspired by the food offerings brought to the priests in this week’s Torah portion.  
   

Saturday, May 9: Parashat Behar / Bechukotai – “On the Mountain” / “In My Statutes”

This week is a double portion, covering two parashot. In the Torah portion Behar, Gd describes the laws surrounding resting the land and crops every seven years, as well as the Jubilee year every 50 years. Gd permits the use of slaves but provides stipulations including the obligation to eventually free your slaves. In Bechukotai, Gd tells the people of Israel that if they follow Gd’s commandments, they will be provided with rain to feed their crops. Gd then describes the long list of punishments that will be inflicted on the Israelites if they do not follow Gd’s laws.

• 📖 Learn about Shmitah and other Jewish farming practices from former MG staff member, Elyssa Hurwitz on their blog The Tales Torah Tells  
• 🧿 🌱 Plant a garden at your MoHo or in your neighborhood that’s inspired by Jewish farming practices. 

Saturday, May 16: Parashat Bamidbar – “In the Wilderness” 

In this Torah portion, Gd tells Moses to conduct a census of all the Israelite men over the age of 20. Moses takes up a second census to count all of the Levite men. Gd gives specific instructions to the Levites about their roles in the Tent of Meeting.  

• 📖  Bamidbar means “in the desert.” Host a dessert in the desert evening as you learn about the Torah portion and eat delicious desserts.   
• 📖 We’re starting the Book of Numbers.  Host a Gematria Shabbat with numbered food and cool mystical values.   
• 🧿 Go on a hike inspired by the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness.  

Saturday, May 30: Parashat Nasso – “Take a Census”

In this Torah portion, Gd describes the service of the Gershon family of Levites. The laws relating to the suspected adulteress and the Nazirite are given. Gd tells Moses and Aaron the priestly blessing. The heads of tribes bring gifts to the Tabernacle.  

• 📖 Explore the Priestly Blessings (which is used on Shabbat as the blessing over the children). Consider incorporating the blessing over the children into your Shabbat meal this week.  
• 📖 Explore the different kinds of blessings in Jewish tradition.   

---

Secular Celebrations and Remembrances

May 1^st (Fr): National Law Day 

• 📖 Learn about kashrut, an area of Halakhah (Jewish law) with Wine and Cheese Through a Jewish Lens
• 📖 Reach out to your JLS to learn about any area of Halakhah that interests you! 

May 1^st (Fr): International Workers’ Day 

• 🌱📖 Learn about Jewish involvement in movements for workers’ rights throughout history and connect to workers’ activism happening in your community
• 🌱Pack sandwiches or snacks and bring them to a nearby strike line (in the US, check out the Labor Action Tracker
• 📖Explore Jewish wisdom about labor and ethical working conditions

May 3^rd (Su): National Garden Meditation Day 

• 🧿Host a Jewish meditation event! Additional resources can be found here.

• 🌱 Explore Jewish relationships to the Earth and learn how to be better caretakers of ourselves and the Earth. 

May 4^th (Mo): National Star Wars Day 

• 🧿 Host a May the 4^th Party and celebrate all things Star Wars.  Check out this source sheet and ready to go program.   

May 5th (Tu): Cinco De Mayo 

• 📖 Gather your community to learn about the Jewish community in Mexico.  

• 📖 Host a Torah and Tacos night and learn some Torah while enjoying some tacos.  

May 6^th (We): National Beverage Day 

• 🧿 Host a Jewish Herbalism Happy Hour and learn about the traditional uses for herbs in Judaism.  
• 📖 Explore the biblical seven speices through this cocktails and mocktails guide
• 🧿 Host a Paint and Sip Through a Jewish Lens

May 7th (Th): National Day of Prayer 

• 🧿📖Explore Jewish prayer/liturgy! Consider hosting a Kiddush Cup Making event in which participants learn Kiddush for Friday Night or Shabbat Day while making their own kiddush cups.   

• 🧿📖 Explore these reflections on women’s prayer in Judaism

May 8^th (Fr): National Have a Coke Day 

• 🧿 Learn about the process of Coke becoming kosher!   

May 9^th (Sa): National Sleepover Day 

• 📖 Learn about Judaism and dreams while hosting a sleepover at your MoHo!   

May 9^th (Sa): National Moscato Day  

• 📖 Use this ready to go Wine and Cheese Through a Jewish Lens program!  

• 📖 It’s not too late to contemplate the Four Questions over Four Cups of wine!  

• 📖 Host a Wine Tasting through the Sefirot Wine Tasting your way through the Sefirot Program 

May 10^th (Su): National “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive Day 

• 🌱Host a canned food drive, take a trip to stock a community fridge, volunteer with your community at a food pantry or soup kitchen. Reach out to your JLS for resources to help Jewishly frame this event!  

May 10^th (Su): Mother’s Day  

• 📖 Learn about the matriarchs in Jewish tradition.  

• 🧿Consider hosting this event ahead of Mother’s Day and make Shabbat Candles or arrange flowers as a gift for mom this Mother’s day! 

May 12^th (Tu): National Limerick Day 

• 📖 🧿Host a Jewish Poetry Writing Night!  

• 🧿 Write your own poem/prayer for Israel with this ready-to-go program. 

May 15^th (Fr): National Bring Flowers to Someone Day  

• 🧿 Have a flower bouquet making event with a Jewish twist and then bring the flowers to someone you know!   

May 16^th (Sa): National Classic Movie Day 

• 🧿 Pick a funny movie, horror movie, or rom com and use one of these source sheets to turn a low-key movie night into a fun Jewish event!  

May 16^th (Sa): National Barbecue Day  

• 🧿 Host a BBQ and learn about Barbecue in Judaism.   

• 📖 Fire up the grill while learning about the barbecue party at the end of the world. 

May 16^th (Sa): National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day 

• 🌱 A great day for a Tikkun Olam event! Contact your JLS for specific ideas tailored to your community!  

May 16^th (Sa): National Pizza Party Day  

• 🧿 Pair your pizza with some Jewish learning with this ready-to-go Jewish Pizza Party Program
• 📖 Add this Jewish trivia about pizza toppings to any pizza-related event to qualify it as Jewish learning
• 🧿Put a competitive spin on pizza with this Pizza Taste Off!   

May 18^th (Mo): International Museum Day  

• 🧿 Visit your local Jewish museum
• 📖 If there’s a nearby museum you’ve been eyeing, contact your JLS for ideas on how to turn a visit to the art museum, children’s museum, science museum or anything else into a Jewish Learning program

May 22^th (Fri): World Goth Day

• 🧿Host a Goth Shabbat! Have everyone dress in black and discuss Jewish customs related to death, ghosts, and the macabre
• 🧿Purchase some awesome goth-themed Judaica from Maimonides Nutz or Ezra Rose
• 📖 Study what Hey Alma has called “The Most Goth Jewish Text”

May 25^th (Mo): World Wine Day

• 🌱 Learn about environmental changes that affect wine while you taste wine products from different global regions
• 📖 Host a Wine Tasting your way through the Sefirot Program 

May 30^th (Sa): Mint Julep Day

• 📖 Learn about the Jewish community of Kentucky while sipping the state’s most iconic drink
• 🧿Explore the mint julep’s Middle Eastern roots – it pairs wonderfully with knafeh!

Compiled by Adira Rosen with contributions by Adena Walker, Annie Prusky, and Rabbi Shari Shamah