June 3, 2008 – The Festival of Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Ten Commandments (and all of the Torah) at Mt. Sinai. This year, to mark the celebration, the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas will honor those who teach their children. Students in the congregation have extended invitations to their teachers in the public schools, private schools and nursery schools to join in the service and the dinner that follows.
The service begins at 6 p.m., on Sunday, June 8, and will be followed by a dinner to which the teachers have been invited as guests of the synagogue. Everyone is invited to join in the service and honor the teachers, but due to the need for advance preparation, dinner is by reservation only.
"We entrust our children to these teachers every day," said Rabbi Arthur Starr. "On this festival when we celebrate receiving the Torah, the Instruction, it is a most fitting tribute to honor the teachers who provide instruction for our children today. Moses is known in our tradition by the highest accolade one can give another human being: Moshe rabbenu – Moses, our teacher!"
In addition to the special recognition being given teachers that night, the synagogue will also have a guest cantor on the pulpit with Rabbi Starr. Cantor Oksana Chapman will be adding to the joy and beauty of the celebration. She was invested as a cantor by the School of Sacred Music at The Hebrew Union College in New York in 1998 and is now entering her final year in the rabbinic program at Hebrew College in Boston. She will be ordained a rabbi next year.