Holidays

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
Sukkot is one of the festive holidays that are mandated in the Torah and during which pilgrimages were made to the Temple in Jerusalem. Sukkot is a harvest holiday and celebrates the bounty of crops that God brought forth for us. Sukkot also marks the beginning of the rainy season, which is essential for the winter crops to grow.

At Temple B’nai Sholem we often celebrate the holidays at the nearest Shabbat service. We usually read from the Mishkan Tefilah and conduct the holiday service from it.

Temple B’nai Sholem puts up a sukkah (open booth) each year for the duration of the holiday. On the Shabbat that falls during the holiday the oneg Shabbat is conducted in the sukkah. Anyone may enter the sukkah, sit in it or eat in it at any time during the holiday.

Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Torah)
Simchat Torah celebrates the annual cycle of reading of the Torah. Each year immediately following the holiday of Sukkot the entirety of the Torah is read in weekly portions until the final portion (Vezot Haberachah) is read on the evening of Simchat Torah. There the end of that portion is read and the beginning of the first portion (Genesis) is read immediately thereafter. In this manner the cycle of reading the Torah is continuous and unbroken. Simchat torah is a joyous holiday and the service is full of singing from psalms and dancing with the Torah scrolls.

Chanukkah
Chanukkah is a minor holiday that celebrates the rededication of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem by the Macabees around 135 BCE. Judea had been conquered by the Selucid Greeks and the Temple was desecrated. Worship of our God was forbidden and the Temple was filled with pagan implements. A guerilla band of zealots who called themselves “Macabees” let by Judah, the son of Mattathias, revolted against the Greeks and wrested the Temple from their hands. They cleansed the Temple from the pagan vessels and rededicated it to God’s service. The story goes that in the Temple there remained only enough sacred oil to keep the eternal flame going for one day. But miraculously the oil lasted for eight days until more oil could be produced and brought to the Temple to keep the light burning. The Temple has a Chanukah menorah (8-branched candlestick) which we light each night of Chanukkah, beginning with one light on the first night and adding an additional light each additional night of the 8-day holiday.

There is no special service for Chanukkah but we do add special prayers to our regular services during the eight days of Chanukkah.

Tu B’shevat
Tu B’shevat is the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. This day is often referred to as the “New Year for trees”. It comes at the time that the trees in Israel are beginning to blossom. The first one to blossom is usually the almond tree. There is no special religious observance for Tu B’shevat, but the Men’s Club has traditionally held a drive to collect funds for planting trees in Israel around this time.

Purim
Purim occurs on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. It celebrates the defeat of Haman, the evil minister of Persia around the 5th century BCE. Haman had convinced the foolish King Achashverosh of Persia to kill all the Jews. But Esther, who was a Jew, was the King’s favorite in his harem and she, with her uncle Mordechai, convinced the King to abandon his evil plan. We hold a special Purim service on the eve of the holiday. Many of us come in costume, and we read the story of Purim according to the Megilla of Esther (the Book of Esther). Purim is also a great holiday for children.

Pesach (Passover)
On the eve of Passover the Temple has a seder for those in the Jewish community who wish to attend. The seder itself is hosted by the Temple’s Sisterhood. There is a per person charge for this. For more information about the seder please contact the Temple sisterhood.