Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins the ten-day period known as the
High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah is also known as the "birthday of the world",
the "day of remembrance" and the "day of the shofar." Rosh Hashanah
celebrates the ability of people to change and grow, as it is a time for
deep thought, self-examination and prayer. At Sinai, we provide age
appropriate activities for children up through fourth grade, concurrent with
the service. The family service on Rosh HaShanah afternoon concludes with
Tashlich, the ceremony during which we symbolically cast our sins (in this
case, bread crumbs) upon the water (in our case, the creek behind the
synagogue). A most popular aspect of the High Holy Days is the Shofar
Blowing contest, held immediately after the afternoon Tashlich service, on
Rosh HaShanah. Over the past years, literally hundreds of youngsters have
participated in this fun and educational happening!

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiday in which the Jewish people ask for forgiveness and forgive others. Yom Kippur, the most solemn and holy day of the Jewish year, is the last day of the ten days of awe and marks the end of the ten-day period of the High Holy Days. At Sinai, we convene a special discussion group between the morning and afternoon services for those who would like to spend that part of the day focusing on the themes of the holy day. Traditionally a day of fasting, Yom Kippur concludes at sundown with a communal break-the-fast.

Sukkot is a fall harvest festival, also known as the "Festival of
the Booths", because it commemorates a time in which the Jewish people lived in
temporary huts (sukkot) during their wandering and during their time of
harvest. Sukkot is a time of feasting and of giving thanks for
the harvest. At Sinai, our brotherhood hosts an annual Sukkot barbecue
outside in the Sukkah. This year we are delighted to begin a new tradition: our Sukkah garden. A dedicated team of congregants planted a garden in spring, and the fall harvest of vegetables will decorate our Sukkah in the fall.

Simchat Torah, meaning "rejoicing with the Torah", is a festive holiday,
filled with music and dance. On Simchat Torah the last portion of the Torah
in the book of Deuteronomy and the first verses of the book of Genesis are
read in the same service, signifying that the Torah has no beginning and no
end. At Sinai, we unroll the entire Torah around the perimeter of the social
hall, held aloft my human hands. From any vantage point, one can see the
entire Torah unrolled, a most impressive sight.

Tu Bishevat, the 15th day of the month of Shevat, celebrates the "Birthday
of the Trees." This Jewish holiday validates the importance of nature and
stresses the need for people to care for trees, plants and objects in
nature. It is customary to plant trees on Tu Bishevat. We hold a Tu Bishevat
Seder, a mystical experience exploring our relationship to G-d's creations.

Purim, a time of merriment and great fun, is one of the happiest of Jewish
holidays. The festival of Purim derives from the biblical story of Esther
and commemorates the Jewish people's success over people who tried to
destroy them. At Sinai, we celebrate with a costume parade and carnival for the kids. We also host an evening Megillah reading that is always full of music, laughter, and surprises. Our Chesed committee coordinates the distribution of mishloach manot (gifts of food) to members of our congregational community.

Passover celebrates the most important event in Jewish history, which is the
Jewish people's exodus from Egypt. This holiday recalls the liberation of
the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, their eventual freedom and their
arrival in the promised land in Canaan. Passover is celebrated for eight
days with a special meal, special foods and specific traditional practices.

Lag Ba Omer is a minor Jewish holiday that focuses on the importance of
study and learning. Lag Ba Omer is celebrated on the 33rd day of the 50 days
of the counting of the "omer", or the measure of the newly ripened barley.
The Lag Ba Omer holiday provided a break from this serious harvest time in
ages past; for us today, Lag Ba Omer marks a way point on the journey from
the shores of the Red Sea (the Exodus) to Mount Sinai, where Moses and the
people of Israel will receive the Torah.

Shavuot celebrates the day the Jews were given the Torah, the guidelines of
Jewish life, on Mount Sinai. It is also a celebration of the time of harvest
and the offering of the first fruits of the new harvest. On Shavuot the
Jewish people decorate the synagogue with greens and flowers, wear white
clothing and eat dairy dishes.

Click here for more information about the weekly celebration of Shabbat at Sinai.