Jewish Holidays Fall 2024 ( 5784-5785 )
JEWISH LIVING
Jewish Holidays Fall 2024 ( 5784-5785 )
Rosh Hashanah
October 2 – 4 , 2024
Rosh Hashanah ( literally , “ Head of the Year ”) is the Jewish New Year , which marks the beginning of a 10-day period of prayer , selfexamination and repentance . This period , known as the Yamim Noraim ( Days of Awe or High Holy Days ), is widely observed by Jews throughout the world , many with prayer and reflection in a synagogue . There also are several holiday rituals observed at home .
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei , which — because of differences in the solar and lunar calendar — corresponds to September or October on the secular calendar . Customs associated with the holiday include sounding the shofar , eating a round challah , and tasting apples and honey to represent a sweet New Year .
Center closed October 3
Yom Kippur
October 11-12 , 2024
Yom Kippur means “ Day of Atonement ” and refers to the annual Jewish observance of fasting , prayer and repentance . Part of the High Holidays , which also includes Rosh Hashanah , Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day on the Jewish calendar . In three separate passages in the Torah , the Jewish people are told , “ the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement . It shall be a sacred occasion for you : You shall practice self-denial .”( Leviticus 23:27 ). Fasting is seen as fulfilling this biblical commandment . The Yom Kippur fast also enables us to put aside our physical desires to concentrate on our spiritual needs through prayer , repentance and self-improvement .
Yom Kippur is the moment in Jewish time when we dedicate our mind , body , and soul to reconciliation with God , our fellow human beings , and ourselves . We are commanded to turn to those whom we have wronged first , acknowledging our sins and the pain we might have caused . At the same time , we must be willing to forgive and to let go of certain offenses and the feelings of resentment they provoked in us . On this journey we are both seekers and givers of pardon . Only then can we turn to God and ask for forgiveness : “ And for all these , God of forgiveness , forgive us , pardon us , and grant us atonement .”
Center closed October 12
Sukkot
October 16 – October 23 , 2024
Sukkot , a Hebrew word meaning “ booths ” or “ huts ,” refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest . It also commemorates the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt . Sinai . Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of the month of Tishrei and is marked by several distinct traditions . One , which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally , is to erect a sukkah , a small , temporary booth or hut . Sukkot ( in this case , the plural of sukkah ) are commonly used during the seven-day festival for eating , entertaining and even for sleeping .
Sukkot also called Z ’ man Simchateinu ( Season of Our Rejoicing ), is the only festival associated with an explicit commandment to rejoice . A final name for Sukkot is Chag HaAsif , ( Festival of the Ingathering ), representing a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth during the fall harvest .
Shemini Atzeret – Simchat Torah
October 23-24 , 2024
Immediately following Sukkot , we celebrate Sh ’ mini Atzeret and Simchat Torah , a funfilled day during which we celebrate the completion of the annual reading of the Torah and affirm the Torah as one of the pillars on which we build our lives . As part of the celebration , the Torah scrolls are taken from the ark and carried or danced around the synagogue seven times . During the Torah service , the concluding section of the fifth book of the Torah , D ’ varim ( Deuteronomy ), is read , and immediately following , the opening section of Genesis , or B ’ reishit as it is called in Hebrew , is read . This practice represents the cyclical nature of the relationship between the Jewish people and the reading of the Torah .
BBYO
Grades : 8 – 12 BBYO is the world ’ s leading pluralistic Jewish youth movement . BBYO is teen-led and modeled as a high school fraternity and sorority , including two movements : Aleph Zadik Aleph ( AZA ) for boys and B ’ nai Brith Girls ( BBG ), for girls . Richmond BBYO has two chapters , an AZA chapter ( Monarchs AZA ) and a BBG chapter ( Dr . Abraham Cohen BBG ). Richmond BBYO is a part of Eastern Region which includes the communities of the Peninsula and Tidewater in Virginia and all of North Carolina . BBYO members participate in varied programs including social , education , recreational activities , community service and Israel programs . For more information on how to join , please contact Lauren Revenson , Regional Director for Eastern Region BBYO , at lrevenson @ bbyo . org .
10 Weinstein JCC • 2024 Fall Activity Guide