Holidays
Holidays
The rhythm of Jewish life is felt by our observance of holidays at their appointed times. At Temple Israel, we celebrate each in its own way, melding tradition and contemporary practice into a meaningful observance or celebration.
Our fall holidays begin with the High Holidays and continues through Sukkot, the festival of booths, and Simchat Torah, a time for rejoicing in the Torah and resetting our weekly reading back to the book of Genesis.
In the spring, we are greeted by the celebration of Purim, when we read from the book of Esther and boo the evil Haman, followed by Passover, when we relive the Israelite exodus from Egypt, and then Shavuot, a celebration of the giving of Torah.
Hands-on activities, dinners, and family-friendly worship experiences are available for all of these celebrations throughout the year. In addition to our unique holiday programming held at Temple Israel, our congregation also participates in community observances of modern historical holidays, such as Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day.
Sukkot and Simchat Torah
Falling right after the High Holidays, Sukkot and Simchat Torah are, at Temple Israel, a time to celebrate more informally and a beginning of our year. After the the blasts of the Shofar and the hardship of fasting, it’s nice to gather in the sukkah for an informal dinner with friends, to shake the lulav, to carry a Torah around the sanctuary and to see your youngsters begin their Jewish educations at Consecration.
Temple celebrates Sukkot and Simchat Torah with a carry-in dinner, activities for children and families and a service. On Sukkot, the service ends in the Sukkah where everyone has a chance to shake the lulav. Being in the sukkah gives a wonderful feeling of being both inside and outside simultaneously. On Simchat Torah, we parade the Torahs into the Great Hall, unroll one of them and listen to the end and the beginning of the story of our people. Seeing a Torah unrolled from beginning to end and held gently in the hands of our members is simply awesome.
Hanukkah
Who doesn’t love Hanukkah? And at Temple Israel’s Hanukkah Happening, there’s a lot to love. Starting with latkes (potato pancakes)!
In the darkness of winter, Temple members do our best to light the way during the Hanukkah season. Each evening, we light our outdoor menorah. On Shabbat, we add a menorah lighting to our service. And on a Sunday during or near Hanukkah, we celebrate with skits and songs, stories and a festive lunch featuring latkes handmade by our Religious School committee. If Jewish food helps to create lasting memories and strong attachment, we thank our committee members for doing a great job!
Purim
Everyone has fun on Purim! (Even our giant puppets!) TIDY, Temple Israel’s youth group, plans and hosts a lively carnival and dinner for the congregation, and Rabbi Bodney-Halasz reads the megillah as candy sails through the air and into the hands, pockets, and bags of children. Chaotic and raucous…and fun! And as contemporary and noisy as it is, we’re celebrating Purim exactly the way we are told. Children and adults attend in costume, dressed as characters from the tale of Esther or as any other character you can imagine. Come to Purim and see Harry Potter, X-Men, kings and princesses, rock stars and lawyers. (OK, so the lawyers didn’t wear costumes this year. They came as themselves.) Rabbi Bodney-Halasz’s, Rabbi Tina Sobo’s, and Courtney Cummings’ coordinating costumes are always a surprise. Dinner is available both before and after the megillah reading which lasts about a half hour in the sanctuary.
The carnival begins after the reading and continues as long as kids…and their parents…are having fun. The games combine the silly and skillful, from bean bag tosses to sponge throws to face painting. The dart throw at the swinging salami is a perennial favorite. Hit the salami and…you guessed it…you win the salami! Learn more about Purim on the Reform Judaism website, but have more fun by attending the celebration at Temple.
Passover
Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, is among the most popular and celebrated of Jewish holidays. Families gather, share favorite foods and retell the story of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. The themes of freedom and liberation, spring and renewal distinguish the holiday and its rituals. The combination of tradition and gathering creates lasting and powerful memories that instill Judaism in our children and nurture our souls.
A highlight of Temple’s celebration is our congregational Second Seder prepared by dedicated volunteers. Our Seder is a complete meal, from gefilte fish, hardboiled eggs and matzo ball soup through baked chicken, salad, carrots and potatoes to dessert — the most amazing Passover cookies and brownies you’ve ever tasted! Rabbi Bodney-Halasz leads the service. Everyone participates. We eat well. It’s a great evening.
Shavuot
Confirmation is the centerpiece of Temple’s Shavuot celebration. Each spring at this holiday which remembers the gift of Torah, we celebrate the accomplishments of our tenth graders who have completed two years of study with Rabbi Bodney-Halasz. As part of the service, they speak about their studies and their experiences and the importance and meaning of their Judaism at this stage in their lives. We are inspired by their vision and insight and hopeful for the future which they will create.
