Festivals

Join us to celebrate the three festivals: Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot! Visit the CMI Calendar for the exact dates of each festival and worship service. You can learn more about all of the festivals through links below.

Sukkot

Sukkot, the harvest festival, allows us to show gratitude for our sustenance and shelter. We build a sukkah, a temporary dwelling booth, which our children decorate. Throughout the eight-day festival, we eat in the sukkah as much as possible and join with families of all ages to sing and pray together. Our Sukkot service is held on the morning of the first day of Sukkot.

Help us Build the Sukkah!

Soon after Yom Kippur, we invite members of the CMI community to help build our Sukkah in preparation for the children in our religious school to decorate it! Contact Rabbi Immerman if you wish to help.

Learn more about Sukkot »

Simchat Torah

On Simchat Torah, literally meaning the joy of the Torah, we finish reading the end of Deuteronomy and begin reading Genesis. Simchat Torah is always on the last day of Sukkot. Our community gathers for a joyous celebration of song and dance with our Oy Street Band. Join us to dance with the Torah!

Learn more about Simchat Torah »

Chanukah Shabbat service, December 2019

Chanukah Shabbat service, December 2019

Chanukah

Chanukah is a special holiday during which we light our chanukiyot (special candelabra for Chanukah) and recall the miracles both in our lives and those of our ancestors. We tell the story of the Maccabees rising up to reclaim the Temple and the oil lasting for eight nights. Chanukah will begin the night of November 28 and continue through the evening of December 6.

Join us for a special family Shabbat service each year. We also sell latkes to raise money for our religious school scholarship. Leave the cooking to us!

Learn more about Chanukah »

Passover

During Passover, we remember the Exodus from Egypt as we celebrate our freedom. On the first night of Passover members of our community participate in a seder, a special meal with many prayers and songs. We refrain from eating bread for the seven days of Passover and instead eat Matza, unleavened bread. On the second night of Passover, we hope that you will join us for a special community Second Seder. Rabbi Ross and Cantor Giglio will lead us in a spirit-filled, family-friendly seder as we enjoy a delicious catered meal. Signups will open closer to the holiday.

Learn more about Passover »

Selected Passover books from the CMI Library