The holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost) commemorates the legacy of Moses — the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, and the Torah — who had a significant impact on the early Pilgrims and the Founding Fathers, as well as the formation of US culture, civic life, the federal system, the US revolution, the Federalist Papers, the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc.
The US Liberty Bell
Shavuot is the holiday of liberty, as highlighted by the Biblical concept of Jubilee. The essence of the Jubilee is inscribed on the Liberty Bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land and unto all the inhabitants thereof (Leviticus 25:10).”
The Liberty Bell was installed in Philadelphia in 1752, 50 years following William Penn’s Charter of Privileges. Shavuot is celebrated 50 days following Passover, and Pentecost. According to Judaism, there are 50 gates of wisdom, studied during the 50 days between Passover and Shavuot.
Yoram Ettinger is a writer and former Israeli ambassador