Yom Ha’zikaron & Yom Ha’atzmaut

Sunday May 12 2024, 6:00 pm to Tuesday May 14 2024, 6:00 pm

We commemorate Yom Ha’zikaron (Israel’s official Remembrance Day) and celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) with a service. Normally, as with all Jewish activities, food is served, this time Israeli style with falafel, humus, tahini, Israeli salad and pitta bread.  We usually have a talk, quiz, film show or other form of entertainment.

Shavuot

Tuesday June 11 2024, 7:30 pm to Thursday June 13 2024, 7:30 pm

One of the traditions at SPS at Shavuot is to hold a chavurah (bring and share) supper.  This is co-ordinated so that we don’t end up with loads of cheese cakes and nothing else!  The service is held in the Schindler Hall, with people sitting at round tables, an informal and friendly setting.  Following the buffet style meal, there are different study sessions to take part in.  At each “break”, coffee and cheese cake are available and, if people want, they can study through the night until the dawn service.

The Shavuot morning service includes bringing in the 7 species traditionally offered at the Temple in Biblical times: barley, wheat, figs, grapes, pomegranates, olive and honey.

Rosh Hashanah

Wednesday October 2 2024, 6:00 pm to Thursday October 3 2024, 6:00 pm

Rosh Hashanah is on 1st Tishri.  On the Shabbat nearest this date, we hold an Selichot Service, which traditionally should start late.  We, as with other communities, tend to start earlier, about 9pm.  At this service we change the Torah mantles from their usual coloured ones to white.  The Selichot Service is also a choral service and sets the tone for Rosh Hashanah and the 10 Days of Awe which follow, leading to Yom Kippur.

At Rosh Hashanah we have a round challah to show that the world is round and that the years are continuous.  We do not put salt on the challah but dip it in honey, as we hope for a sweet new year.  We also wish each other l’shanah tovah – a good year.

We also use a different prayer book, a Makzor, which is used only for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.  In our regular prayer book, Siddur Lev Chadash, we have additional prayers during the Amida and these are recited during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Our tradition is to offer mitzvot to members who have contributed to SPS life during the year, whether on committees, contacting members, regular attendance at Shabbat services or helping with social or other events.  We also hold a family service aimed at all ages but primarily for those members who want to bring their children to a service they can understand and be part of.

The sounding of the shofar heralds the start of the Erev Rosh Hashanah service and also forms an important part of the morning service.

Rosh Hashanah concludes with Havdallah.

Yom Kippur

Friday October 11 2024, 6:00 pm

Ten days after Rosh Hashanah is the Holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur.  Kol Nidrei, the evening service, is one of the most spiritual of the year and sets the scene for a long day of fasting and prayer.

As with Rosh Hashanah, we offer mitzvot to involved members of our community.  Our morning and additional services are continuous but then there is a break for study, if one wishes, or just for a walk before resuming for the afternoon, memorial and concluding services.

Again, as with Rosh Hashanah, we offer a family service in the morning, where the story of Jonah is often acted by families.

As Yom Kippur draws to a close, the shofar is again sounded, signalling the end of these Days of Awe.  Finally, Havdallah completes the day, as families return to their homes to break their fast.

Weather permitting, the building of the sukkah is traditionally started after the service, as we prepare for the harvest festival of Sukkot.

Sukkot

Wednesday October 16 2024, 6:00 pm to Tuesday October 22 2024, 6:00 pm

Sukkot is the final of the 3 harvest festivals and is celebrated by the building of a sukkah.  Our sukkah is a permanent wooden structure, open to the skies, so one can see the stars.  It is covered with laurel leaves, many of which are taken from our own garden and were planted for that purpose.

Children and adults, bring fruit and we hold a “Sukkah Decorating Event”, where children draw pictures to decorate the sukkah, usually of the Ushpizin, spiritual guests, who we invite to share our sukkah with us.  Adults string the fruit and together we decorate the sukkah.

At SPS, instead of having one lulav (the four species mentioned in the Torah, consisting of the myrtle, the willow, the palm branch and etrog,) and an etrog (citron fruit), we buy a few which are passed around the congregation during the Hallel, so that everyone can be part of this mitzvah.

Kiddush, weather permitting, is always held in the sukkah.

Simchat Torah

Thursday October 24 2024, 7:30 pm to Friday October 25 2024, 7:30 pm

At Simchat Torah we offer the special mitzvah of finishing reading the Torah, which ends with the death of Moses, to either a Chatan (bridegroom) or Kallah (bride) of the Torah and immediately we start reading from the beginning of the Torah, with the birth of creation, again offering the mitzvah to either a Chatan or Kallah Bereishit.

Following the Torah readings and Bible (evening service) or Haftorah (morning service), the Sifrei Torah are all taken from the Ark and paraded round the Synagogue, at least seven times.  Everyone is encouraged to dance round the Synagogue with any of the Sifrei Torah, some being quite small and light and others heavy.  No-one is excluded.  There is singing and dancing, as this is a joyous festival, and apples, flags and sweets are distributed.

After Kiddush in the Sukkah, the fruit is distributed to those on site and the rest, as long as it is in good condition, is taken to one of the local care homes, for the residents.  It has also been known for chutney to be made fromthe fruit that has gone soft!

Chanukah

Wednesday December 25 2024, 6:00 pm to Thursday January 2 2025, 6:00 pm

Chanukah is one of the highlights of our Festival year when we congregate in the Schindler Hall, seated round the tables and admiring all the different Chanukiot that members have brought with them.  The service starts with everyone who has brought their Shabbat candles, lighting them and then different people are asked to read parts of the service, which leads to them each lighting one of the 8 candles on the Synagogue Chanukiah, whilst those who have brought their own Chanukiah also light their candles. Seeing all the candles alight on the tables is a delight to behold.

Following the service we are able to enjoy another chavurah supper (bring & share), this time co-ordinated to ensure there are not too many latkes and nothing else!

The evening concludes with some form of entertainment.

Tu Bishvat

Wednesday February 12 2025, 6:00 pm to Thursday February 13 2025, 6:00 pm

The kabbalists, a group of Jewish mystics living in Israel in the 16th century, created a Seder for Tu Bishvat (New Year for trees).  They gathered in the evening around a beautiful table decorated with sweet-smelling flowers and lovely candles and long into the night they sang, talked and ate.

At SPS we reciprocate this tradition, albeit earlier in the evening and not going on too late!

During the evening, we follow our own produced Seder, where we drink four glasses of wine, each a different colour, to represent the four seasons.  We will also have three plates of various types of fruit, representing a body covering the soul, the heart is protected, and pure spiritual creation.

Another custom at SPS is the planting of trees, usually by the youngest and eldest children at Ruach (Religion School).  Some of these trees now give us the greenery to decorate our sukkah at Sukkot.