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Some communities celebrate Shemini AtzeretThe holiday at the end of Sukkot, during which are recited prayers for rain. Rain figures prominently as God’s blessing in the arid land of Israel. and Simchat TorahThe holiday at the end of Sukkot during which Jews dance with the Torah late into the night. The yearly reading cycle of the Torah is completed and a new cycle is begun. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the holiday season. In some congregations, the Torah scroll is unrolled in its entirety, and selected verses are read or sections noted. on two separate days; in other communities they are combined. Either way, this grand finale to the fall holiday season comes with a wide array of themes and practices. It culminates with a raucous celebration of Jewish learning and Jewish community, as we dance with the TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes “Torah” is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general. scrolls and read both the end and the beginning of the Torah on the very same day.
A presence that bursts forth from the emptiness
I saw the ocean unfolding. But really it was Torah
Kiddush: Humanist liturgy
A prayer for rain during the Amidah on Shemini Atzeret in memory of those fallen during the Yom Kippur War
Poem for the dedication of a new Torah cover
Song for a women’s Torah reading on Simchat Torah, based on the traditional Chatan Torah poem
A complete ritual featuring a prayer for rain, packing boxes of food for a food pantry, and an optional text study.
Three poems reflecting on different aspects of Torah
Celebrating the Torah while keeping our loved ones memories as blessings
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
In this study of the Zohar, Rabbi Margie Jacobs will guide you in exploring the ShekhinahThe feminine name of God, expounded upon in the rabbinic era and then by the Kabbalists in extensive literature on the feminine attributes of the divine., the feminine, immanent, indwelling Sacred Presence, through the use of art materials and reflective writing. Four sessions starting May 7, 2024.
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