The eight-day Festival of Lights beckons us to draw nearer - to the warmth of the flames, to our Jewish community, and to our favorite food traditions like latkes and soufganiyot. Though Chanukah is considered a minor holiday (it’s not mentioned in the Torah), it has become significant for North American Jews, reflecting our acculturation in the 19th and 20th centuries. And why shouldn't it? Chanukah celebrates Jewish strength and victory against overwhelming odds, an adamant refusal to submit to oppression, and a fierce embrace of our identity. So as we light the candles each night, basking in the expanding glow from the menorah, let’s remember the literal meaning of Chanukah - dedication - and rededicate ourselves to that legendary strength of spirit and selfhood. Wishing a chag Chanukah sameach to all! Upcoming Hanukkah dates include: Dec 07 - Dec 15, 2023 and Dec 25 - Jan 02, 2024.

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While wishing someone shana tova - a good year - at this time may technically work, the sentiment isn’t quite right. However, practicing t’shuvah is a good starting place for the beginning of a new year. In fact, starting anew is a very Jewish practice. We begin each day with modeh ani, the prayer of gratitude to God for restoring our souls. And there are four festivals throughout the Jewish calendar that are considered “new year” celebrations: Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Tu B’shvat, and Elul. To embrace another celebration is very much in keeping with our tradition. So as we begin a new secular year, perhaps we can bring to it some of our spiritual practice: giving thought to how our actions benefit ourselves and others, incorporating positive new habits and leaving behind those that no longer serve us. Call them resolutions if you must. Or maybe it can just be a renewal of the intentions we set during the High Holy Days. However you choose to practice and to celebrate, Temple Judea wishes you a happy, healthy, safe, new year.

Did you know Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vocal advocate for American Jewry and Israel? Even in the weeks before his death, he wrote and spoke of the imperative of Israel’s existence. He was a welcomed and powerful ally. In his honor we can ask ourselves: do we walk the talk? It’s fundamental to Judaism to participate in tikkun olam, to help repair the world. There are a multitude of opportunities to put our values into practice, whether individually or with one of TJ's many B'tzelem initiatives. It’s a practice we should stay aware of, always asking ourselves, “Am I doing the work?”

January 27, anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, is also celebrated as International Holocaust Day as designated by the United Nations. Although Jews recognize our own Holocaust Remembance Day, Yom Ha'Shoah, it is important that we participate in this collective day of somber reflection as a way to bring worldwide awareness to the dangers of antisemitism and hatred.

Tu B’Shvat, the 15th (tu) of the Hebrew month of Shvat is a holiday celebrating the “birthday of the trees.” In modern Israel, this holiday as a combination of what we know as Earth Day and Arbor Day; they plant trees and celebrate ecological awareness. As Jews, we take our role as stewards of the Earth seriously. Having a holiday dedicated to trees is a very Jewish practice. Additionally, there’s a metaphor often used for Torah, the most famous of which is (from Proverbs): “It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it.” Happy birthday, trees! Upcoming Tu B'Shvat dates include: 2024, Jan 24 - Jan 25 2025, Feb 12 - Feb 13 2026, Feb 01 - Feb 02

For most Americans, February 14 is a day synonymous with love. But for the Jewish people, love means more than just pink hearts and red roses. One needs only to look at the Ten Commandments to know the importance of love in the Jewish tradition - from the most important commandment to "love Adonai,” to the golden rule, to "love thy neighbor as thyself." These values shape the essence of our people. Many of our other sacred texts include poetic homages to love as well. In Hebrew, this phrase from Song of Songs reads, “Ani le dodi ve dodi li.” In English it translates to one of the most popular Jewish wedding verses: "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.” Today, whether you’re enjoying some fancy chocolate or a bouquet of flowers, take a moment to appreciate all the love around you: love for oneself, for those closest to you, for your faith and spiritual community, and for our world. For it is true: "Olam chesed yibaneh… We must build this world from love.”

The third Monday is February is Presidents' Day, a celebration of the birthdays of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln. Jewish tradition puts great value on remembering figures from our past who have paved the way to our present -- think about our forefathers and foremothers who we recall during each Amidah prayer. While antisemitism was common in early America, these two Presidents stand out for their support of religious freedom and friendships with the Jewish community. Washington, for example, wrote in a famous letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, affirming that Jews would be free to practice their faith, free from religious persecution and bigotry. Lincoln, likewise, overturned general Grant's order to expel Jews from the military, and instead supported Jewish soldiers' right to chaplains of their own faith. He also promoted Jews to important military and political positions. So, as we come together as a nation to recognize the contributions of these early leaders, let's continue to take action through Temple Judea's Social Action committees to do the work of advocating to continue to move our country forward for all its inhabitants.

TJ is all about Jewish community, and those connections are on full display at our remarkably fun and entertaining community Purim events! This year’s Shpiel is a perfect example; a diverse cast of TJ members are performing a parody. Purim at Temple Judea wouldn't be complete without our annual "best in the valley" Purim Carnival! TJ volunteers and staffers plan a carnival with something for everyone: midway games, rides, a Kids’ Zone, delicious treats and special vendors. But... why a carnival? Why a shpiel? What do these things have to do with Purim? M’gillat Esther explains, “on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month...when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Jews intended to have rule over them, the opposite happened, and the Jews prevailed over their adversaries.” Thus, Purim is a holiday where we celebrate a world of opposites. We wear masks, we act silly, we turn the world upside down in a rowdy, giddy celebration of the Jews' unlikely victory over an evil tyrant. No matter which events you choose to attend - Purim is an exceptionally fun holiday to celebrate with your Jewish community! Upcoming Purim dates include: Mar 23 - Mar 24, 2024 and Mar 13 - Mar 14, 2025.

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