Chanukah
Chanukah
On Chanukah we celebrate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE, when the Jews successfully revolted against King Antiochus of the Seleucid Empire.
Judah the Maccabee, the eldest son of the priest Mattathias, led the revolt. The eight-day celebration was patterned after Sukkot, though later rabbinic tradition attributed the length of the festival to a miraculous small amount of oil that burned for eight days.
A central part of the holiday is the lighting of the chanukiah, or menorah, an eight-branched candelabrum to which one candle is added on each night of the holiday until the chanukiah is full of light on the eighth night. To commemorate the oil that kept the menorah lit, we eat foods fried in oil, such as latkes and jelly donuts.
Each year Havurah hosts at least one Chanukah celebration, bringing people of all ages together for singing, candle lighting, story telling, and more. The popular CD, "Just in Time for Chanukah," was produced by Havurah Music Coordinator Ilene Safyan and Havurah founding member Margie Rosenthal. You can find many of their songs here on CD Baby.
Thu, September 28 2023
13 Tishrei 5784
Need Help? If you are a Havurah member in need of help, log in to find resources here.
Havurah Updates
Hineinu: Todah Rabah, High Holidays Survey, Sukkot, and More
Todah Rabah!
Many thanks to the many, many people who made High Holidays happen at the Tiffany Center, our own building
Correction to Hineinu: Rosh Hashanah Family Service Start Time and RSVP Link
Correction
Our Rosh Hashanah Family Service Starts at 10:30 am
Our Rosh Hashanah Family Service—aimed e
Upcoming Events
-
Thursday ,
SepSeptember 28 , 2023
Thursday, Sep 28th 4:00p to 6:00p
-
Thursday ,
SepSeptember 28 , 2023
Thursday, Sep 28th 5:30p to 6:45p
Our Havurah Sukkah is a place of meditation, meals, song, and community. Get together with other Havurahniks to make it look fantastic and feel as special to be in as it is. RSVP to receive details as the date comes closer. -
Saturday ,
SepSeptember 30 , 2023
Shabbat, Sep 30th 10:00a to 12:00p
Led by community members and Rabbi Benjamin, this service includes davening, Torah reading, and discussion. For Zoom link, email info@havurahshalom.org. -
Saturday ,
SepSeptember 30 , 2023
Shabbat, Sep 30th 3:00p to 5:15p
-
Saturday ,
SepSeptember 30 , 2023
Shabbat, Sep 30th 3:10p to 4:30p
-
Monday ,
OctOctober 2 , 2023
Monday, Oct 2nd 1:00p to 4:00p
We are excited to bring mahjong back to Havurah. It is a fun, social activity that builds community, encouraging new friendships and cementing old ones. And while some of us may play elsewhere as well, we all agreed that restoring its place as an ongoing congregational activity will be a good fit for Havurah and those of us who play or want to learn the game. So please don't hesitate to join us! -
Tuesday ,
OctOctober 3 , 2023
Tuesday, Oct 3rd 7:30p to 8:45p
Jewish text study is similar to tuning a radio. Each type of text—TaNaKH (Bible), Rabbinic Literature (Midrash and Talmud), Medieval Commentary (Rashi, ibn Ezra, Nachmanides) and Mystical (Kabbalistic and Hasidic)—operates on a different frequency. Each seeks to clarify what we are hearing about the world, following a set of rules. Each reads the world’s signals. We will spend two weeks tuning into specific passages from the four genres. Hebrew is not necessary for this overview , although we will read some of the “greatest hits” together in the original. Transistor radios preferred to digital, because we are all subject to static. Led by Rabbi Joey Wolf. -
Wednesday ,
OctOctober 4 , 2023
Wednesday, Oct 4th 7:30p to 8:30p
Note the number of adults, teens, and kids attending when you sign up! -
Thursday ,
OctOctober 5 , 2023
Thursday, Oct 5th 5:30p to 7:30p
-
Thursday ,
OctOctober 5 , 2023
Thursday, Oct 5th 6:30p to 8:30p
More info to come. Contact: Karen Sherman.