Music and prayer are two universal languages that express the depths of the soul and spirit. Both connect us to each other, to nature, and to something greater than ourselves. What is it about music that enables a meaningful prayer experience? What is the place of sacred and profane in synagogue music? And what is the role of the piyyutim?

On the night of Shavuot, when we gather to study, question, renew, and receive the Torah, this year we have chosen to dedicate the Tikkun Leil (night vigil) to humor. Not as an escape from seriousness, but as one of the deepest ways to encounter it. In Jewish tradition, in Israeli humor, in satire, in buffoonery, in cinema, and on stage, humor is much more than entertainment: it is a language of wisdom, a tool for critique and correction, a way to cope with pain and difficulty, and sometimes even a spiritual stance of humility, freedom, and hope. On this Shavuot eve, we will seek to learn the power of laughter – the laughter that subverts conventions, that brings hearts closer, that allows difficult truths to be spoken gently, and that reminds us that even in the midst of brokenness, embarrassment, and uncertainty, humans are capable of continuing to play, create, question – and live.

Participants:

Prof. Aryeh Sober | Prof. Yishai Rosen-Tzvi  | Eran Ben Zeev | Galit Reichman | Amir Sperling | The Policewoman Az-Olay | Avi Greinik | | Maayan Weinstein | Esteban Gottfried | Rani Yeager | Rivi Dror | Atalia Lavie and more

Lecturers:

when?

Thursday, May 21st, 2026 from 8:30 PM until late

where?

Beit Shalom Aleichem, Berkovich 2, Tel Aviv

Admission is free with advance registration.

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