The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is a great little holiday (read all about Shavuot here) that you can enjoy almost anywhere…BUT the best place to get the ultimate Shavuot vibe is on a moshav or kibbutz.
I live on a moshav and can confirm that the celebrations are pretty darned unique, and just a little bit more than a good slice of cheesecake. There’s plenty of tractors doing some tricky maneuvers, folk dancing, kids singing, horses prancing, and some awesome kite flying once everything is over. Yep, it’s usually pretty windy come Shavuot time, which is always pretty useful when launching those kites…
Some of the kibbutzim and moshavs you can check out:
- Moshav Be’er Tuvia, in the south of Israel: Lots of activities spread over the weekend, including the annual Cow Beauty Pageant! Call 054-7780593 for more details.
- Kibbutz Tzuba, a 15 minute drive from Jerusalem: Lots of Shavuot activities and shows between 12:00 and 16:00, with workshops for the kids and tractor drawn trailers for the kids to ride on. Call 02-5347952 for more details.
- Kibbutz Ein Shemer, just north of Hadera: Lots of good Shavuot things for the kids to do, including a tractor tour of the kibbutz. Call 04-6374327 for more details.
- Moshav Sarona, in the Lower Galilee: Free to enter, great show that starts at 17:30 and ends with some awesome kite-flying.
And here’s a taste of Shavuot on my moshav…