Shavuot on the Mountain: When Trillium Met Torah

On June 1—at our 11th annual Shavuot on the Mountain pilgrimage—when the ancient Jewish cycle brought us to the historical time of the barley harvest and our ancestors' journey to the temple with their grains, the earth in Vermont fully thawed upon its highest peak. We visited her waterfalls, snowpacks, and vistas in celebration of bikkurim, the first fruits. 

Sixty people of all ages set aside their Sunday morning to carry a basket of bread, violets, parsley and greens from the farm to the interfaith chapel on the side of Mount Mansfield, where we danced and read the 10 utterances (AKA commandments) from the Torah while we created thunder and lightning with drums, rattles, guitars, and song. Along the way, we stopped to share chocolate and views, revelled in spring’s wildflowers, refreshed at a waterfall, and even threw ourselves down the last bits of snow on sleds! We remembered together Rabbi Hillel's teaching: "Do not separate yourself from the community."

With a summer retreat in August and a series of amazing camps, there are many chances to visit the land and experience Living Tree Alliance's collective farm. The unique gift of Living Tree Alliance celebrations is that they bring together the joy of song and community, the grounding wisdom of the seasonal cycles and the lasting teachings of what it means to live together ... all upon the gorgeous land of Vermont.