Lunch & Learns - 3rd SaturdaysJoin Rabbi Caine for a light lunch and discussion - making Torah and Judaism relevant to you. December 17th: Is Judaism a Religion of Love? 2012 dates forthcoming. Check back soon! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rosh Chodesh GroupA new Rosh Chodesh Group is forming at Ner Tamid! We meet in a member's home once a month at 8pm for a casual, bonding & learning opportunity. This is intended for any woman interested in building friendships and continuing (or starting) to learn about incorporating Judaism and Torah into your life. Please contact
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for more details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Ner Tamid community comes together for all holidays in the Jewish calendar. Religious services are often paired with traditional celebrations of the holidays - for example, a second night seder for Pesach or an afternoon of sukkah building in the synagogue courtyard. We remain committed to Jewish traditions while also cultivating a relevant connection to our busy, modern lives. We celebrate the significant and ordinary details of life through our regular and holiday services as well as when marking life cycle events. If you are not yet part of the Ner Tamid community and are interested in our approach, please contact Rabbi Nadav Caine. Please direct specific questions about Ner Tamid's celebration of holidays and events to Marty Leblang, VP of Religious Affairs. A reference guide for Jewish Holidays and their corresponding 2011 dates Holiday | Description | 2011 Dates | | Tu B'Shevat | The New Year for Trees, it is the 'Jewish Arbor Day'. It is customary to eat fruits on this day. | Thursday, January 20, 2011 | | Purim | Commemorates the Jewish people's escape from extermination at the hands of Haman, minister of the Persian king Ahasuerus. The word Purim means 'lots' and the holiday is so named as a reminder of the lots cast by Haman to determine what date the slaughter should occur. Festivities include mishloach manot , the sending of food gifts to friends; reading of the Megillah, the book of Esther; and Se'udat Purim, the festive meal. | Nightfall of March 19 through nightfall of March 20 | | Yom HaShoah | The Holocaust spanned years with suffering and death spread throughout these years of terror. No one day stood out as representative of this destruction. | Tuesday, April 12, 2011 | | Passover | The first Pilgrimage festival, Pesach commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. Pesach, or Passover in English, is named after G-d's 'passing over' of the Israelite houses while smiting the Egyptians with the tenth plague. Festivities during this holiday include having a seder and eating matzah. | Sunset of April 18 through nightfall of April 26 | | Yom Hazikaron | On this day Israel remembers the blessed memory of the fallen soldiers that sacrificed themselves in the various battles for Israel's freedom. | Monday, May 09, 2011 | | Yom Haatzmahut | Israel’s Independence Day | Tuesday, May 10, 2011 | | Lag B'Omer | The Day is given its name by its count in Sefirat HaOmer, which is thirty-three. It is celebrated with outings (on which the children traditionally play with bow and arrows), bonfires, and other joyous events | Sunday, May 22, 2011 | | Shavuot | The second Pilgrimage festival, Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah. It marks the completion of counting the Omer. It is customary to stay up the entire night and study the Torah and to read the Book of Ruth. | Sunset of June 7 through nightfall of June 9 | | Tish'a B'Av | This fast day is in memory of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. | Sunset of August 8 through nightfall of August 9 | | Rosh Hashanah | The Hebrew New Year. Celebrates the creation of the world and is characterized by the blowing of the shofar. Begins the Ten Days of Repentance. | Sunset of September 28 through nightfall of September 30 | | Yom Kippur | This fast day is the day of repentance and the holiest day of the year. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation. | Sunset of October 7 through nightfall of October 8 | | Sukkot | The third Pilgrim festival, it is also known as the festival of Tabernacles. Sukkot commemorates the life of the Israelites in the desert during their journey to the promised land. During their wandering they lived in booths (Sukkot). | Sunset of October 12 through nightfall of October 19 | | Simchat Torah | This celebration marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of readings of the Torah. Festivities include seven hakkafot (processions), in which members of the congregration carry scrolls of the Torah. | Nightfall of October 20 through nightfall of October 21 | | Chanukah | The Festival of Lights commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 165 B.C.E and the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem which had been defiled by them. Each night of the festival an additional candle is lit until on the last night, eight candles are burning. According to tradition, when the Temple was re-captured, only one small vessel of 4 consecrated oil -- enough for one day -- was found and it miraculously sufficed for eight days until new oil could be prepared. The festival last eight days to commemorate the miracle. | Sunset of December 20 through December 28 |
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