Shavuot as you never knew it

The phenomenon of secular Israelis 'reclaiming' Shavuot over the past few years with 'alternative' and cultural events and textual learning outside of Orthodox centers has been well documented. Now JTA reports that a similar process is happening in the US amongst secular/non-Orthodox Jews. And while some of the events are slightly, ahem, unorthodox, most things which potentially keep un- and under-affiliated Jews in the fold and ignites an interest in things Jewish are positive. A San Francisco woman who attended one of these Tikkunim last year explained the most basic benefit, which I'm sure was true for many: “First of all, I learned that Shavuot existed.”