Shavuot service to feature dedication of Torah scroll

The Oahu Jewish Ohana will hold a Morning Festival Service of Shavuot this month, at which it will dedicate its first Torah scroll and its portable ark.

Led by Rabbi Peter Schaktman, the OJO, a Reform congregation, chose May 24 for the service and dedication to coincide with the first day of the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people.

The OJO Torah was written 80 to 90 years ago in Eastern Europe. Its housing, or ark, was designed by artists in Israel, New York and Hawaii.

According to a news release, through their design the artists aimed to convey a "welcoming community, diversity, respect, family, and connection to Hawaii." For example, the release said, the doors of the ark are carved with a blossoming tree of life, which is often used as a symbol for the Torah itself, with a strong center and deep roots.

OJO’s Morning Festival Service of Shavuot is set for 9:30 a.m. May 24 at the Wai­kiki Beach Marriott Hotel.

Reservations to the lunch that will follow are being accepted but should be made as soon as possible by emailing oahujewish ohana@gmail.com. The cost is $18 for members, $36 for nonmembers.