The annual cycle of Jewish holidays is a central part of life at Tikvat Israel. For the latest information on this year’s celebrations, please visit our Recent News page. For more general information, click below.
All holidays begin at sundown. A brief overview of special observances and customs, and any special Torah readings, is also available on the Hebcal website.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Monday, September 22, 2025 and goes through nightfall on Wednesday, Septmber 24, 2025
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is a time of inner renewal and divine atonement. It is customary to attend Rosh Hashanah services on both days and to hear the shofar blown.
Many people also go to a Tashlich service where they throw bread crumbs into a naturally running body of water as a means of casting away their sins. On the second night of Rosh Hashanah it is customary to eat a new fruit, a symbol of newness.
It is customary to have big feasts on both nights of Rosh Hashanah and there are thus a plethora of customary dishes, including: round challah, honey, brisket, tzimmes and more.
Yom Kippur begins with Kol Nidre just before sundown on October 1, 2025 and concludes at nightfall on October 2, 2025
Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of communal and personal atonement for sins committed during the past year. It is traditionally observed by fasting and spending the day in prayer.
Jewish adults 13 and older are commanded to fast for a 25 hours, refraining from any eating or drinking. However, no one whose health would be at risk is allowed to fast, including pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who are ill.
Prayer – and especially prayers of repentance – is the other central component of the holiday. The Kol Nidrei service kicks off the holiday, just before sundown as the holiday begins. When we awaken, we start with the morning service, a Torah reading, and the musaf (additional) service that includes the special Avodah service (with its frequent prostrating oneself on the ground to reenact the service from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem). We also recite Yizkor (a prayer in memory of our deceased relatives) and, in the afternoon, read the book of Jonah. We conclude the day with the Neilah service, as the sun sets and the proverbial gates of repentance are closing. We mark the end of the day with the sounding of the shofar.
For more information and to register to attend the High Holidays this year, please click here.
Sukkot begins at sunset on Monday, October 6, 2025 and continues through nightfall on Monday, October 13, 2025.
Sukkot is named after the booths or huts (sukkot in Hebrew) in which Jews traditionally dwell during this week-long celebration. The Sukkah represent the huts in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from slavery in Egypt. They also remind us of our ancestors who dwelt in temporary structures during the fall harvest to maximize their time in the fields. The festival of Sukkot is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (chaggim or regalim) of the Jewish year, and the first two days are considered holy days, when we refrain from doing work.
Today, many families build their own sukkah, often beginning construction immediately after the fast on Yom Kippur. A Sukkah must have at least three sides and a roof made of thatch or branches that provide sufficient shade to protect from the sun, but also enough space to see the stars at night. It is traditional to decorate the sukkah and to spend as much time in it as possible. Weather permitting, meals are eaten in the sukkah, and some people even sleep in the sukkah. We welcome guests to our sukkah, both living and, symbolically, our ancestors through a welcoming ceremony called ushpizin.
In commemoration of the bounty of the Holy Land, on each day of Sukkot we hold and shake four species of plants (arba minim), consisting of palm (lulav), myrtle (hadas), and willow (aravah) branches , as well as a citron fruit (etrog).
Check out this year’s schedule of Sukkot services & events!
Shemini Atzeret begins at sundown Monday, October 13, 2025 and leads directly into Simchat Torah, which begins on the evening of Tuesday, October 14th and continues through nightfall on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
Shemini Atzeret means the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” while Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in Torah.” These two days immediately follow the 7-day holiday of Sukkot.
Shemini Atzeret is a Biblical holiday marking the end of the Tishrei holidays. In Second Temple times, it appears to have been a day devoted to the ritual cleansing of the altar in the Temple. It also marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel and, therefore, we begin to recite a prayer for rain in the daily amidah. We also recite Yizkor at the morning service.
Simchat Torah is a celebration marking the completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of the new one. It is marked by joyous dancing with the Torah scrolls, both in the evening and in the morning. It is the one time a year that we read from the Torah at night. In the morning, each person has an opportunity to be called for an aliya (to recite the blessings before and after the Torah reading), including a special one for all the children. It is also traditional to honor two members of the congregation with the final aliya of the cycle and the first aliya of the new cycle. These honors are called Chatan/Kallah Torah and Bereshit.
Check out this year’s schedule of Sukkot services & events!
Chanukkah begins at sunset on Sunday, December 14, 2025 and lasts for eight days until nightfall on Monday, December 22, 2025.
Chanukkah is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev. In Hebrew, the word “chanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E. Chanukkah is also known as the festival of lights.
Tu Bish’vat begins at sundown on Sunday, February 1, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Monday, February 2, 2026.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON LAST YEAR’S PURIM CELEBRATIONS
Purim begins at sunset on Monday, March 2, 2026 and concludes at nightfall on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (1st seder) and continues through nightfall on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Click here for a full listing of Passover services, information, and events.
Lag B’Omer begins at sundown on Monday, May 4, 2026 and concludes at nightfall on Tuesday, May 6, 2026.
Shavuot begins on Thursday, May 21 at sunset and continues through nightfall on Saturday, May 23.
TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT
As we anticipate receiving the gift of Torah at Mt. Sinai on Shavuot, we engage in a night of Jewish learning and conversation. We will begin with Minchah at 7:30 pm followed by a pre-Shavuot study session with Rabbi Israel. At 9:00 pm, we will daven the festival Ma’ariv service, make kiddush, and enjoy cheesecake.
For the rest of the night, members of the Tikvat Israel community will lead us in study and discussion, interspersed with plenty of snack breaks and caffeine. We will continue as late into the night as we have teachers and learners (usually around 1:30 – 2:00 am)! Check out the full line-up of sessions from 5785!
Thursday, May 21:
6:00 pm BYOPicnic with a visit from the Ice Cream Truck
7:30 pm Minchah (In-person and via Livestream)
7:45 pm Study Session: Rabbi Israel
9:00 pm Ma’ariv (In-Person and via Livestream)
9:20 pm Kiddush and Cheesecake
9:40 pm Tikkun Leyl Shavuot
Friday, May 22:
9:30 am Preliminary Service
9:45 am Festival Service (In-Person and via Livestream)
6:00 pm Minchah/Kabbalat Shabbat/Maariv (In-Person and via Livestream)
Saturday, May 23
9:15 am Preliminary Service
9:30 am Festival Service with Yizkor around 11 am (In-Person and via Livestream)
9:06 pm Maariv and Havdalah (on Zoom Only)
“Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem” by Francesco Hayez, 1867
Begins at sundown on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 and continues until nightfall on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
The 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av is a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the 1st Temple in 586 BCE, the 2nd Temple in 70 CE, and is also associated with the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and other tragic historic events. Traditionally, many of these events were seen as punishment for not upholding the mitzvot or for the lack of civility among people of different factions of Judaism. Regardless of one’s belief about the cause of the Temple’s destruction (or desire to rebuild it), this day is a reminder of the many attempts throughout history to destroy the Jewish people and Judaism. It is also an opportunity for us to mourn the losses we have endured.
Traditionally, we engage in a full 24 hour fast and listen to the reading of Megillat Eicha (Lamentations) to help us focus on the solemnity of the day and commit ourselves to building a better future. Tisha B’Av is the culmination of a three-week period of mourning that begins with the minor fast day of Sh’va Asar B’Tammuz (17th of Tammuz), which marked the breach of the city walls in Jerusalem that preceded the destruction of the 1st Temple. Tisha B’Av also begins the lead-up to the season of repentance, with Rosh Hashanah just seven weeks away.
As we have done for many years, we will commemorate Tisha B’Av jointly with several of our neighbor congregations, including Kol Shalom, Kehillat Shalom, B’nai Shalom of Olney, and Shaare Tefila.
All services will take place at Tikvat Israel and be available via Zoom.
Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 9:30 pm (Flax Library)
Ma’ariv and Havdalah (evening) service and reading the book of Eicha (Lamentations). As a sign of mourning, we encourage those who are able to sit on the floor; chairs will be available for those who need them. A flashlight (or phone) will be helpful, as the lights will be dim.
Sunday , August 3, 2025 at 9:30 am (Sanctuary)
Shacharit (morning) service, but as a continued sign of mourning, we do not don tallit or tefillin at this service.
Sunday , August 3, 2025 2:00 pm (Sanctuary)
Minchah (afternoon) service, where we now wear tallit and tefillin. As the day continues, the mourning period eases, recognizing our people’s survival and our freedom to live and worship in the land of Israel. Some people follow a tradition to break the fast after Minchah.
The fast concludes at 8:54 pm.
