Holidays

Congregation Ahavas Achim (CAA) celebrates Jewish holidays throughout the year, connecting us to our heritage and to Jews all over the world. Our holiday tradition gives us the opportunity to experience the whole range of human emotions over the course of the year. As Rabbi Arthur Waskow said in his classic text on Jewish holidays, Seasons of Our Joy:

“The Jewish holiday cycle… is intended to help us feel more deeply, more intensely, the cycle of feelings that make us fully human. When it is time to grieve, we are to grieve deeply. When it is time to be angry, we should be furious. If it is time for happiness, we dance with joy. Jewish tradition encourages us to know that all these emotions are part of human life…If we are able to feel these feelings deeply enough, we can ‘use them up.’ Through walking the path of the year, we can renew in ourselves a sense of deep calm, internal harmony, the peaceful sense of shalom.”

Here are some details of how holidays are celebrated in Keene. Check the calendar for specific service times.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: The High Holiday services at CAA are moving, musical, and—in spite of the largest crowds of the year—intimate. The beautiful singing of our Rabbi, Music Director, Soloist Eleanor Kaufman, and others infuse the holidays with both joy and solemnity. Many congregants have roles in the services, whether by reading Torah, leading prayers and readings, having pulpit honors, or blowing shofar. Everyone participates in prayer and song. Families who have welcomed new children or grandchildren in the previous year are offered a special blessing. On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah—or the second day if the first day is on Shabbat—we gather at a local stream to cast away our “sins” during the ritual of Tashlich. All are invited to a festive luncheon on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and a communal break fast at the end of Yom Kippur. All are welcome: there is no admission fee or tickets. Because there are significant costs associated with holding services and offering meals, we ask guests to CAA to make a suggested minimum donation to CAA of $360, though all donations are gratefully accepted, no matter how small or large.

Sukkot: The building of the CAA sukkah is a joyous event every fall. Children from the religious school help to decorate this temporary structure and evenings of music and meals in the sukkah are planned. Everyone gets a chance to shake the lulav (willow, palm, and myrtle branches) with the Etrog (citron) along with the appropriate blessings during this eight day holiday. The sukkah is available throughout the holiday, and impromptu potlucks often happen.

Simchat Torah: Immediately following Sukkot we celebrate Simchat Torah, the holiday of rejoicing in the Torah. We finish the last verses of the Torah on that evening and read the first ones, starting the cycle all over again. When we read the opening verses from the Book of Bereishet (Genesis), the adults spread out a tallit like a chuppah and invite all the children to stand under it to get a close-up view of the reading. We dance exuberantly with the Torah—including dancing outside. If there are enough people in attendance, we unroll the Torah scroll all the way, something only done this time of year!

Chanukah: The eight-day minor festival of Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over their oppressors, and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jews light an 8-branched candelabra called a hanukkiah or Hanukah menorah. On one of the eight nights, we hold our annual “Great Latke Blowout” at which we all light candles together, sing songs accompanied by our in-house band—”Lainee and the Lat-keys”—tell jokes, play dreidel and, of course, devour latkes!

Tu B’Shvat: The New Year of the Trees (in January or February) is marked by a Tu B’Shvat seder on the Sunday morning closest to the holiday. Held during religious school, the seder is open to all. We eat fruit from trees and drink grape juice while thanking God for the gift of the trees and musing on their mystical significance. Tree identification lessons and tree-related crafts add to the fun.

Purim: Occurring in February or March, the holiday of Purim is based on the story told in the Book of Esther. It is a time for raucous fun. Adults and children alike dress up in costumes, eat hamentaschen, and put on a purimshpiel (Purim skit). The congregation sends out mishloach manot (packages of hamentaschen and other treats) to seniors and home-bound members of the congregation. In the past, we’ve even had a Purim Carnival for the children, including games and prizes!

Pesach (Passover): The Festival of Freedom is celebrated at CAA with joy and gratitude. CAA members host—or are guests at—home seders on the first night. On the second night, we have a community seder at which everyone participates, from lighting candles at the beginning to making animal noises during Chad Gadya at the end.

Shavuot: This late spring holiday of thankfulness for the giving of the Torah is traditionally celebrated with cheesecake and all night study. At CAA, we’ve modified this custom by gathering for a shorter evening of enjoying cheesecake and blintzes and engaging in various forms of learning. Recent study sessions have included: “The Ten Commandments You Thought You Knew,” “Those Wondering Jews: Tales from Our Travels,” “Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah,” “The Book of Ruth through Bibliodrama,” “The Music of Chagall’s Windows in Jerusalem,” and “The Torah of Living Through Covid.” Our celebration usually wraps up by 9:00PM.

Tisha B’Av: This mournful fast day in the summer commemorates the destruction of the ancient Temples in Jerusalem, as well as other disasters. Some years, we gather after sundown, sit on the sanctuary floor, and read the book of Eichah (Lamentations) by candlelight. Other years, we gather by the banks of the Ashuelot River in the morning and read the book of Lamentations by “the waters that Babble-on.” Lamentations is chanted in a beautiful and heartbreaking melody and is followed by sad songs.