High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year,” and marks the beginning of our High Holy Days, or Days of Awe – a time of deep introspection about our relationships with each other and between ourselves and God. The sounding of a Shofar (ram’s horn) calls us to prayer and contemplation as we consider how we can improve our personal conduct in the coming year. We observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, ten days after Rosh Hashanah, during which we fast from sundown to sundown, a solemn day of confession and prayer, that includes memorial prayers for loved ones we have lost. Many stay at the temple all day to observe in community until the ritual is complete, ending with a communal Break Fast. Our congregation uses the machzor (High Holy Day prayerbook) Mishkan HaNefesh (published by the CCAR – Central Conference of American Rabbis) as our source for High Holy Day liturgy.

Sukkot
The word “Sukkot” means “booths,” and refers to the temporary dwellings that we are commanded to build during this holiday in memory of when our ancestors wandered in the desert. It begins on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, shortly after Yom Kippur and lasts seven days. Sukkot is also one of three major Jewish holidays that are tied to our agricultural history, a celebration of the fall harvest. Many Jews observe Sukkot by building their own temporary 3-sided dwellings in their yards, and enjoy eating meals together outdoors during the week of Sukkot. Here at the temple we also build a Sukkah, and weather-permitting, celebrate the festival outdoors with worship on the first night and following morning.

Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret marks the end of Sukkot, and is followed by Simchat Torah, our observance that marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings which begins in the fall with Genesis Chapter 1 and ends the following fall with Deuteronomy Chapter 34.

Hanukkah
Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight day observance beginning on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. Hanukkah is probably one of the best-known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks during the rule of Antiochus IV, and the subsequent rededication of the Holy Temple. According to the Talmud, our rabbinic teaching, our ancestors could find just one days’ worth of oil to use for the rededication,
but it miraculously burned for eight.

Pesach (Passover)
Pesach begins on the fifteenth day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavuot and Sukkot). While agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the spring harvest season in Israel, it is best known as the time Jews recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt, when they moved from slavery to freedom. Jews around the world mark this with a special meal called a seder, that includes symbolic foods such as matzah, and a traditional retelling from a book called the Haggadah.

Shavuot
Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance. Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). But historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).  It is an observance that includes worship and all-night study.

Purim
We celebrate Purim on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Adar, to commemorate the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persian empire from a plot to annihilate them. Observance of Purim involves four mitzvot (things we are commanded to do): hear the recounting of the story from the Megillah (the biblical book of Esther), give “tzedakah” (charity to those in need), give gifts of food to one another (called mishloach minot) and enjoy a festive meal. Over the years this holiday has evolved into a time when people don costumes, have parades and carnivals, and celebrate joyously.