A Shavuot Feast for All

Ah, Shavuot… Cheesecake, blintzes and lasagna—what’s not to love? A lot, it turns out, if your table includes Celiacs, lactose intolerant people and vegans. Here’s how to make it more inclusive.
Ah, Shavuot… Cheesecake, blintzes and lasagna—what’s not to love? A lot, it turns out, if your table includes Celiacs, lactose intolerant people and vegans. Here’s how to make it more inclusive.
A rich buttery coffeecake served with ice cream is a great alternative to cheesecake for Shavuot. This one, called aranygaluska, comes from Hungary and resembles popular monkey bread or pull-apart bread.
Blintzes are great, but for a Shavuot option that’s lighter on the carbs and sugar, try dolmas. They’re filled and rolled tightly, too… And how about that Torah shape?
As a new “unintentional” vegan, Allison is here to tell you that whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan or just a milk hater, you don’t have to give up Shavuot treats. Say cheese!
Shavuot is known for heavy cheesecakes and casseroles, but for three integrative nutrition coaches in Israel, the real inspiration lies in the seven species and the celebration of first fruits.
It’s a custom, not a law, to fuel Shavuot’s all-night Torah study sessions with a dairy extravaganza. This year, think about the animals that give us dairy and Judaism’s thoughts on animal welfare.
Just before Shavuot last year, Leah got an itch to make the light cheesecake she used to make back in Israel, but she couldn’t remember how, so she embarked upon a quest to find it.
Despite vague memories of learning about Shavuot, Lori definitely remembers eating cheesecake and blintzes on the holiday. But now, with dairy intolerances and vegan diets in her family, how can they celebrate?
Most goats are bread in late fall or early winter and give birth in spring, which means that dairy-heavy Shavuot coincides perfectly with when the first goat milk goes to humans.
A craving for bourekas, the cheese-filled puff pastry triangle that’s popular in Israel, and the holiday of Shavuot inspired Leah to try her hand at homemade puff pastry. The results were delicious.