Everyone is welcome to join us as we celebrate Jewish holidays and festivals. During the year, we create and experience the rhythm of “Jewish time” together, beginning with services for Selichot (the late night service that starts our penitential season), Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (tickets are required for some of these services—please contact the Temple office). Join us to celebrate the fall harvest as we welcome Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) with a lovely service held outside in our large sukkah. Mark the conclusion of the fall, holy day season on Shemini Atzeret (8th Day of Assembly) as we recite the Yizkor (Memorial) prayers for loved ones who have died. Note that we recite these Yizkor prayers four times during the year: on Yom Kippur, on Shemini Atzeret, on the seventh day of Pesach and also on Shavuot.
Holiday & Festival Celebrations
Come dance with us on Simchat Torah as we unroll the entire Torah scroll and rejoice to the music of our special Simchat Torah Klezmer band! Each Chanukah, we light a large, original menorah (decorated by our religious school students!) on the front lawn of the synagogue and then gather for a delightful latke party, organized by the men of Brotherhood. Our annual, Purim service and shpiel (a light-hearted spoof of the Purim story) are an entertaining, memorable event and Pesach (Passover) finds us praying together on the first morning and then gathering on the second night for a congregational seder. Add to these events: a special seder of the fruit trees for Tu B’shevat (New Year of the Trees), the delight of celebrating the revelation of Torah on Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) as we confirm our 10th grade students, the profound mourning we share on Yom Ha’Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)and Tisha B’av (9th of Av, a fast day recalling the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and other calamities) as well as the celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) and you can experience the rhythm of a full, Jewish year within our Beth El Temple Center community.
