We’re now coming around the bend to the last stretch of the holiday season. With much of Sukkot behind us, we’re now approaching Shmini-Atzeret and Simchat Torah! It is once again a 3-day holiday weekend, beginning Wed Night Sept 25th and ending on Sat Night the 28th. Come for whatever you can, but do not miss Simchat Torah night, a once a year event at Shabbos House!
All events below are at Shabbos House (320 Fuller Rd, near Great Dane Drive, direction of Stuyvesant Plaza). There’s no charge, no dress-code, no attendance taken. All are welcome.
WED NIGHT 9/25- SHMINI-ATZERET (Last Night in the Sukkah)
6:45pm Mincha, 7pm Prayers with Mini-Hakafot
8pm – Last Dinner in the Sukkah (weather-permitting). Actually, the holiday of Sukkot is technically over, as we enter Shmini-Atzeret & Simchat Torah, but the Chabad custom is to eat in the Sukkah one more day, and besides… we’re going to miss the Sukkah atmosphere!
THURSDAY DAY 9/26 SHMINI ATZERET DAY (Prayers and Lunch)
9:30am Holiday Prayers including Hallel Singing, Torah-Reading, Yizkor (semi-annual Memorial Prayer), we begin the prayer for rain in Israel in Musaf with a emphasis on sustenance and livelihood in Musaf, and hopefully the Priestly Blessing, too (Kohain wanted!)
12:30pm – Last Holiday Lunch in the Sukkah!
THURS NIGHT 9/26 – SIMCHAT TORAH NIGHT CELEBRATION!!
This is a one-time-a-year event, filled with dancing, joy and warmth. Come for an hour or stay until midnight. Make the time to come out for it!
7:30pm Evening Prayers, following by one-time Ata Horaysa Auction (unusual for Shabbos House, this is an old tradition here of selling verse honors to highest bidders, with support going to Shabbos House to help defray the expensive holiday costs. Please do not feel under any pressure to bid. NEW this year, we’re ONLY doing one-round, not 3 rounds of the Ata Horaysa verses, and once you win the bid and a verse, you can not bid again.
8:30pm Kiddush, nibble nosh and the Dancing Begins. Over the course of the night a big buffet dinner is served, with mocktails and pastries, salads, dips, cold-cuts, veggie platters, soup and other goodies. Mens and Womens dancing is on separate sides of the room, in keeping with religious observance and respect for the holiday.
Most years the dancing goes to Midnight or close to it, depends of course on the energy level and investment of all participants! Its your chance to express joy at being Jewish, dance however you can (just in a circle or in fancy steps, no major dance moves knowledge needed). We sing everything from Hava Nagilah to Tevye’s Lchaim Song, Oseh Shalom to Chabad Melodies, Sabbath songs, Israeli songs, stuff from the prayers and some song parodies too. The spiritual and emotional energy of Simchat Torah can be inspiring and memorable for a long time to come.
There’s also the collectible Simchat Torah souvenir. Get this year’s edition at Simchat Torah!!
FRIDAY SEPT 27 – SIMCHAT TORAH DAY
Our main Simchat Torah celebration is on Thursday Night, but there’s a little more celebration (actually a long service) on Friday morning. You can call it the day after, though it’s no hangover!
9:30am – Holiday Prayers, which will include Hallel, Hakafot (lively, but nothing of the length like the night prior), Torah-Reading with many multiple Aliyot call-ups, and finally a lively Musaf. Somehow this service stretches out, and it is longer at Shabbos House than our Yom-Kippur day-time service (except that there is food and good times and dancing in between).
Lunch is usually around 2pm or so, and will be a relaxed buffet after a long holiday.
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FRIDAY NIGHT SEPT 27 – FIRST REGULAR SHABBAT OF THE YEAR
The holiday may be over, but Shabbat begins!
7pm Friday Night Services at Shabbos House (Orthodox) or at Interfaith Center (for Reform/Egalitarian).
8pm Dinner at Shabbos House. First regular Shabbat of the new Jewish year and last dinner of a long stretch of wonderful holidays!
SAT SEPT 28 – SHABBAT PRAYERS AND LUNCH
10am Prayers at Shabbos House, we read the first portion of the Torah
12:30pm – Shabbat Lunch.
Shabbat ends 7:25pm.