Holidays

Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe or High Holy Days)

What is Yamim noraim?

Our first service is Selichot, held on a Saturday prior to Rosh Hashanah. Come thrill to the first blast of the shofar and to our Torah scrolls being dressed in their holiday whites.

On Rosh Hashanah we offer evening and morning services, a children’s service for those age six and under, and a second day morning service. Our volunteer choir sings, and we invite congregants young and old to participate in the service. In addition, on the first day we have a luncheon after the morning service and taschlikh at a nearby river in the afternoon.

On the Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, our rabbi leads a memorial service at the Temple Israel Cemetery. All who wish to remember a loved one are welcome, regardless of where their loved one is buried.

On Yom Kippur we have a Kol Nidrei evening service; morning, Yizkor (memorial), and neilah (closing) services; as well as an afternoon study session and a children’s service for those age six and under. We end with a congregational break-fast meal. 

If you are Jewish and not a member of Temple Israel, please contact the office at least a week before Rosh Hashanah for information, schedule, and tickets.

Sukkot

What is Sukkot?

On the Sunday morning following Yom Kippur we have an intergenerational sukkah building and decorating party. During Sukkot we have a lunch in the sukkah, a service with lulav and etrog, and either a Shabbat dinner or luncheon.

Simchat Torah

What is Simchat Torah?

We dance with our four Torah scrolls and have a service during which we read from the end of Deuteronomy and from the beginning of Genesis. We have a special consecration of our kindergarten students, and end with an ice cream social.

Chanukah

What is Chanukah?

Chanukah, oy Chanukah! Of course we light the chanukiah (Chanukah menorah), have latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), and enjoy a service with the choir. Depending on the year, an intergenerational orchestra might perform some Chanukah favorites.

Tu Bishvat

What is Tu Bishvat?

For the New Year of the Trees, the Sisterhood leads a special Shabbat service with environmental themes. Additionally, the rabbi leads a Tu Bishvat Seder, a highlight for older children and adults alike.

Purim

What does Purim encompass?

Our Purim celebration varies year by year, but always features a retelling of the story of Esther, whether reading “straight” from the Megillah, or in the form of a comic “spiel” or play. In recent years we have delighted in a special Persian-themed meal, and of course we indulge in hamantaschen, the three-cornered pastries for which everyone has their favorite filling.

Honukkah

How do we celebrate Honukkah?

Hanukkah, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, is a festive eight-day celebration that for many people falls during the darkest, coldest season of the year. Also called the Festival of Lights, the holiday brings light, joy, and warmth to our homes and communities as we celebrate with candles, food, family, and friends. Light comes literally, with the lighting of an additional candle each day, and metaphorically, through a newer emphasis on charitable donations and a commitment to the work of repairing the world (tikkun olam) during the holiday.

Pesach (Passover)

WHat exactly is Passover?

Pesach is a week-long festival celebrating the exodus of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. During the week we refrain from eating leavened products and instead eat matzah. The Passover Seder, a ritual meal during which the story of the exodus is retold, is a home observance and we encourage our members to host a Seder at home on the first night of the festival. On the second night, Temple Israel has a congregational Seder. 

If you are Jewish and not a member of Temple Israel, please contact the office for information and reservations at least a week before Passover.

Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day)

What do we celebrate on this day?

We join together with the larger community to commemorate the lives lost in the Holocaust and to recognize those who survived and those who aided the survivors. This event is sponsored jointly with the Springfield Council of Churches. Its location varies from year to year.

Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Israeli Independence Day)

How do we celebrate?

We gather for a brief service and the singing of HaTikvah, then enjoy a dinner of Israeli foods.

Shavuot

What us Shavout?

On this final festival of the year celebrating the wheat harvest and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, we have either tikkun l’eil Shavuot, an evening study session, or a blintz breakfast followed by a Shavuot service and Yizkor (memorial) service.