Holiday celebrations at Temple B’rith Sholom range from joyous and meaningful, or appropriately somber, to just plain fun. Please check the home page of this site for current dates and times of upcoming holiday services and events.
- Hanukkah is typically celebrated over the eight days, with candle lightings in the Memorial Hall lobby and a Sisterhood “Latke” Supper. The choir always provides a lively cantata of Hanukkah songs.
- Tu b’Shevat has over the years, been an occasion for Tu b’Shevat seders, wine and cheese tastings, and herb plantings for the local soup kitchen.
- Purim has become a riotous affair, with “middle eastern” dinner events and the reading of the Magillah. Over the years, Queen Esther had a “bat mitzvah, we had a “St. Patrick Day-themed Purim, musical presentations of the King and Chai. All in good fun and celebration of Esther’s bravery.
- Simchat Torah is celebrated jointly (food and entertainment) at Temple Israel as a community event.
- Passover: Pasach is celebrated in homes the first night. Then on the second night, TBS hosts a “Community Seder”. This tradition started up again in 2015 and continues to thrive as one of the main events of the holidays. This last year, over 200 guests enjoyed, a dinner menu of Matzah Ball Soup, Gefelte Fish Salads, Brisket, Charoset, Kosher Wine and a joint reading of the Haggadah. We also have a children’s Seder area where our little ones can enjoy some much needed time away from the “order” of the Seder celebrations.
- Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is observed in a state-sponsored ceremony hosted by the Governor of Illinois at the Old State Capitol. Many attend from around the state for the memorial services.
- Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel Independence Day, is typically celebrated under the auspices of the Springfield Jewish Federation.
- Shavuot has been the occasion for Confirmation honors to highlight the completion of Torah studies of the older Jewish teens. On some occasions TBS congregants celebrate adult B’nai Mitzvah with services in their honor.