Shavuot: The Jewish holiday that became all about children

A confirmation class in 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Wikimedia Commons

For most American Jews today, Shavuot is not exactly a big-ticket holiday. Observance lags behind springtime Passover, and it pales in comparison to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the fall “high holidays.”

But 150 years ago, Shavuot was the one day when everybody wanted to be in synagogue: It was a day to celebrate children.