Holidays
Please join us for these Holy Days and Festivals throughout the year. Check our calendar or call the main office at 516-676-5000 for more information.
Sukkot
This week-long harvest holiday reminds us of the Israelites’ wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt. We erect a succah to remind us of the hut-like structures that the Israelites lived in during their 40 years in the desert. It is a time to appreciate the shelter of our homes and our security.
It is also an agricultural holiday. It is the season of the fall harvest and impels us to be thankful for the bounty we get from the earth. As such, it has become a holiday of environmental awareness.
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah immediately follows Sukkot, celebrating the completion of the annual reading of the Torah and affirming 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 around the synagogue.
Chanukah
Chanukah is the eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews rose against their oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt, defeating one of the mightiest armies on earth against all odds. When they went to light the temple Menorah, they found only a one-day supply of oil. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days. To remember, we light the Chanukah menorah for eight nights, beginning with one candle and adding one each night until all eight lights are kindled. To celebrate, we eat latkes and donuts fried in oil, play with the dreidel and give children Chanukah gelt.
Tu B'Shevat
Tu B’Shevat marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees. We celebrate by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds of trees singled out by the Torah, such as grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
Purim
Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews. The Book of Esther, known as the Megillah, tells the story and ends with Haman’s hanging and the Jewish people being saved. It is a time for feasting and merry making. CTI’s annual Purim Shpiel reenacts the Book of Esther.
Passover
Passover is celebrated over eight days to commemorate the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. To remember that the Israelites did not eat bread when they escaped, we eat only unleavened bread (matzoh) during the eight-day celebration. The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. A ritual-packed feast, it is a family-oriented tradition. CTI holds a community Seder on the second night of Passover.
Spring Holidays
Lag B’Omer
Thirty-three days after Passover, this day is celebrated with picnics and outings in Israel. The origins of Lag B’Omer relate to historical events in ancient Israel during a plague. On this day, there were no deaths. And so, people went out to celebrate with others.
Shavuot
Also known as the Time of the Giving of the Torah, this spring holiday coincides with the flower and fruit harvest. Customs for Shavuot include reading the Ten Commandments and studying the Torah. We decorate with flowers and have a festive dairy meal. Blintzes and cheesecake are associated with Shavuot.
Israeli Independence Day
In Hebrew, Yom Ha Atzmaut, this is the July 4th of Israel. We mark the day here with recognition of the importance of having a Jewish homeland. Yom Hazikaron precedes it. This is Israeli Memorial Day. We recognize the loss of life before celebrating the triumph of the State of Israel.