Tucson J Program Guide Aug-Dec 2017 PG_Summer17_rev3aa | Page 18

Great Debates in Jewish History Wednesdays November 1 - December6 7 – 8:30 pm Explore six of the biggest debates that rocked the Jewish world in a new six-week adult education course from the Jewish Learning Institute. Presented by Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, we will learn how faith and reason were balanced, whether Judaism was better practiced hidden or public, the Chassidic movement and its opponents and more. Enroll at ChabadTucson.com/GreatDebates. Price includes student textbook. $99 members and non-members Jewish Heritage Center Celebrate the Festival of Lights at The J! December 12 – December 20, 5 pm Each night during Hanukah, we will light the menorah, sing songs, and enjoy a delicious pre-dinner Hanukkah treat at the entrance to The J. All are welcome! Visit tucsonjcc.org for specific times each night. Free and open to the public Main Entrance of The J To Tell Our Stories:  Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona Sunday, December 10, 11 am - Noon Members of the Tucson community will share dramatic and poignant accounts of their persecution at the hands of the Nazis, and of perseverance and survival. Learn how the book evolved, and how local schools are using the book in their curriculum. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, with proceeds to benefit the Holocaust Program at Jewish Family & Children’s Services. Free and open to the public Jewish Heritage Center SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS! This fall the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and The Tucson J will collaborate to create programs that engage community members ages 21 through 45. Please join us! Fall Harvest Feast In the Sukkah Monday, October 9, 6–8 pm Iron Chef Latke Competition Saturday, December 16, 6–9 pm Additional details to follow. Contact Jennifer Selco or Barbara Fenig with questions about other opportunities for young adults to connect with one another. 18 | TUCSON J UPCOMING JEWISH HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS These snapshots provide basic information about each upcoming holiday. Want more information? Contact Jennifer Selco at [email protected] Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebrated in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishrei. Jews often eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year. Rosh Hashanah begins the ten day period known as the Yamim Noraim, the days of awe. During this period, we reflect on ways that we have missed the mark over the past year and aim to return to our best selves. Wishing you and your family a Shanah Tovah U’Metukah, a good and sweet new year! Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. The day is spent reflecting on our mistakes over the past year and how we will strive to do better in the New Year. On this day we do not eat or drink and we are encouraged to help feed those less fortunate than us. On a deeper level, Yom Kippur is an opportunity for us to reconnect with ourselves and our communities. Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, is the one Jewish holiday during which we are commanded to be joyous. During Sukkot we remember the wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt. We also celebrate the fall agricultural harvest. Did you know that Sukkot is one of three pilgrimage festivals, and in ancient days, was one of the times when people made their way to Jerusalem? Shemini Atzeret begins after the seventh day of Sukkot. Traditionally, this is the day the Jews leave their sukkahs and return to their homes. The holiday also marks the end of the annual cycle of weekly Torah reading. Simchat Torah, taking place the day after Shemini Atzeret in America marks the start of the new annual Torah reading. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated on the same day. Simchat Torah means “joy of Torah” and on this holiday we celebrate the beginning of the Torah reading cycle. Simchat Torah is also a celebration of Jewish learning. Oft