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On Shavuot night, a crowd of young and vibrant Tel Avivians gathered at WeWork-Sarona to drink wine, devour cheesecake, and feast on Jewish wisdom. The JWRP-sponsored event featured all-star speakers, including the mayor of Tel Aviv, the former ambassador of Israel to the United States, a Member of Knesset, a professor of Talmudic Studies, and our own Trip Leader, Adrienne Gold Davis.

Together, we pondered the biblical metaphors in the famous song, "Jerusalem of Gold"; contemplated Michael Oren's slogan for diplomacy, ”Try Love”; and asked ourselves what it means to have unity without uniformity. With bottomless cups of coffee to keep us energized, we honored Shavuot with an inspiring night of Jewish thought and discussion. Many of us didn't leave until 4 in the morning!

Brielle Mayberg shares her account of this special evening here: 

"This Shavuot, it was inspiring for me to see hundreds of people gathering to learn at ‘The Other Tikkun Lavan.’ Each person was enthusiastic about connecting and becoming a part of a larger picture of Jewish life. The speakers were the glue of the evening.

 At 11 pm, it was standing room only around Michael Oren, former ambassador to the US. Ruth Calderon led an interesting discussion about the ancient texts of the song, ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ and the crowd sang the entirety of the song as a tribute to the holy city. The JWRP's Adrienne Gold Davis was her usual spectacular self, mesmerizing a full audience at 2 AM with her message of unity without uniformity. She shared thoughts about how treating our fellow person and withholding judgment is internal work that can achieve the goal of oneness as a people.

The informal atmosphere of WeWork's lounge areas gave everyone the opportunity to partake in the holiday’s tradition of staying up all night in a uniquely enjoyable way. Lavish trays of veggies balanced out the decadent sweets from the bakery, Roladin, which were served between speakers. The wine was polished off at the beginning of the evening, and coffee, which was served throughout the night, helped us happily stay awake.

This was the most out of the box and inspiring Tikun Leil I have ever attended. Kudos to Dana Sender-Mulla of the JWRP and the co-sponsors for organizing a night that truly brought together the many components of the Tel Aviv professional community. The energetic city offered numerous learning opportunities, and this event satiated those hungry for both inspiration and cheesecake.”