I went for the panel, I stayed for the minyon.

At dawn I joined a minyon of jews on the shores of lake michigan to daven. Vocabulary quiz: minyon–a group of ten adult jews (traditionally ten men) daven–to pray.

This is Shavuot–the holiday commemorating receiving the Torah at Mr. Sinai. To celebrate reading the text, you stay up all night and study with other jews. I went to the Kehilla event for the opening panel, which my Rabbi was on, and wound up staying through till sunrise.

Yeah, I skipped out before the torah reading, but I davened at dawn with strangers, but with family too.

Now I have to go to work with no sleep, but a greater understanding of judaism.