Welcome to the lazy days of summer when final exams are over and teenagers relish a break from the hectic pace of the school year. Their carefree lifestyle in the next few months is enviable, ya know, riding around town with the top down (of the convertible, that is), hanging out at the swimming pool with friends, and playing video games all day long until their world becomes a virtual reality. On the flip side, other teens mix fun in the sun with volunteer work, including building a playground in a war ravaged neighborhood in Israel, teaching a seriously ill child how to shoot a bow and arrow for the first time at summer camp, or exercising homeless dogs at the Missouri Humane Society. (more…)

Shavuot is a major Jewish festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Without Shavuot, the Jews still would be wandering the dessert. So this biblical holiday—one of the three pilgrimage festivals from the Torah (the other two are Passover and Sukkot)—represents the most significant event in Jewish history. Although the average American Jew pays more attention to Hanukkah because of the widely recognized symbol of the menorah, the “Festival of Lights” doesn’t hold a candle to Shavuot. (more…)