Holidays
Tu Bishvat
Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees, is observed with a festive meal and seder or speaker, as we remember our ties to the land of Israel, the cycle of seasons, and our dependence on the earth.
Purim
Purim is celebrated with exuberance at B’nai Shalom. From costumed children (and adults) during the Megillah Reading, to our annual shpiel, and mishloach manot, our Purim festivities are enjoyed by families and individuals of all ages.
Pesach
We begin on Shabbat ha Gadol, the Shabbat before Pesach, with a special Erev Shabbat congregational dinner and scholarly lecture. On the second night of the holiday, we host a congregational seder, conducted by Rabbi Tobin. The seder is family friendly and inspiring – a warm, community-shared event. Contact Rabbi Tobin for the contract of sale for your chametz.
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated each year with a meaningful speaker or film related to the Holocaust. A memorial service follows the presentation.
Lag BaOmer
Lag BaOmer is celebrated on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, which takes place between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. It provides a break from the semi-mourning of the Omer - making it possible to hold weddings and get haircuts. It is the day when the plague that killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva's students ceased, and thus became a day on which mourning rituals are abandoned - replaced with great joy. In Israel, parties and picnics abound and many attend evening bonfires.
Shavuot
Shavuot, an agricultural festival celebrating the grain harvest and the first fruits in ancient Israel, came – after the Temple was destroyed – to commemorate the Covenant made at Sinai.
At B’nai Shalom, we start the holiday with a cheesecake-fueled, late-night Tikkun Leyl Shavuot, at which Rabbi Tobin and other rabbis in the congregation and community, along with educators and learned congregants, lead study. Services on the first day are followed by a delicious dairy luncheon, sponsored by Sisterhood. Second-day Shavuot services include Yizkor.
Tish’a B’Av
Tish’a B’Av, the fast day commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, is solemnly observed with the reading of Eicha (Lamentations) by members of the congregation. In the late afternoon congregants gather for a film or discussion, and finish with a communal “break-fast.”
Rosh Hashana
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur help us start the new Jewish year with awareness of our relationship with God and with one another. While our clergy lead inspiring High Holiday services and thought-provoking and insightful sermons, each day we concurrently offer an engaging Family Service as well as services and activities for our youth and little ones.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur concludes after the Neilah service with the bimah filled with children holding their shofars, as they join Rabbi Tobin in blowing Tekiah Gedolah.
Sukkot
Sukkot, a symbolically rich harvest festival recalls the long years during which the tribes of Israel lived in impermanent shelter in the wilderness. Our grand sukkah, decorated with love by our Sunday school and Hebrew school students, serves as our meeting place for the week. Our events include a Congregational Supper, the Men's Club's “Scotch in the Sukkah,” and Sisterhood's Sukkot Luncheon.
Shmini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret concludes the autumn holiday cycle. On Shemini Atzeret, we pray for the winter rains that prepare the earth for planting in Israel. This ceaseless cycles remind us that there is no end to the seasons or to the Torah. Shemini Atzeret services include Yizkor.
Simchat Torah
On Simchat Torah, we read the last portion in the Torah and immediately begin the cycle of readings again. This ceaseless cycle reminds us that there is no end to the seasons or to the Torah. Simchat Torah at B’nai Shalom is a holiday for song and dance. In the evening, we joyously partake in processions with all of our beautiful Torah scrolls. The following morning, the hakafot continue, outdoors if weather permits. Our celebrations concludes with a festive, luncheon.
Chanukah
Chanukah celebrates both the Maccabees' fight for religious freedom and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the battle was won. We come together to light candles during services on Chanukah, using both B’nai Shalom's magnificent hanukiah and our contemporary outdoor menorah. Each year, we celebrate the miracle of lights with a holiday dinner and family entertainment.