Holidays
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Holidays 〰️
Community Seder for Passover
Saturday, April 12 beginning at 5:30 pm, the Rutland Jewish Center will hold its annual Passover Community Seder. Celebrate the first night of Pesach by joining in the community fun. Reservations are required. The cost for the catered meal is $50 per adult and $25 for children 6—12, it is free for children under 6.
As the meal is catered, you must RSVP by Tuesday April 1, to Jane Kierstein by phone or email.
Community Passover Seder: A Journey to Freedom
Ruach HaMaqom Presents
Community Passover Seder: A Journey to Freedom
Led by Rabbi Lee Moore
Join Our Earth-Conscious Vegetarian Potluck Seder!
Experience a soul-stirring ritual where ancient wisdom meets song, story, and joy. Guided by Rabbi Lee we’ll explore dimensions of liberation and reinvigorate our commitments to end oppression. We'll use "The Promise of the Land" Haggadah by Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, weaving together the themes of freedom and ecological connection.
Eco-Conscious Potluck Contributions (Vegetarian Only)
Please bring a dish based on the first letter of your last name:
A-J: Bring a main dish
K-O: Bring a dessert
P-Z: Bring an appetizer
Earth-Honoring Dietary Guidelines:
Strictly vegetarian (milk, eggs, cheese allowed)
NO chametz: wheat, rye, barley, oats, or spelt
Gluten-free options welcomed
Locally-sourced and organic ingredients encouraged
Consider bringing your own reusable plates, cups, and utensils
Bring an ingredients list to place beside your dish
As we invite liberation from narrow places, we call in the Divine presence in all Creation. Bring family, friends, and open hearts to journey through the Red Sea together and beyond, traversing our ancient freedom songs along with contemporary visions for wholeness and justice.
RSVP by April 5th
Questions?: [contact@ruachhamaqom.org]
Annual Community Second Night of Passover Seder
Welcome to our 2025 Community Seder!
Our Seder will begin at 5:00pm, with potluck dinner being served around 7:00pm.
Kosher-for-Passover vegetarian or dairy dishes are welcome! Matzoh ball soup will be provided. Regular and gluten-free matzoh will be available. Space is limited.
Registration is required by April 6.
BAJC Community Seder
This year’s Seder will again be catered by Chef Gretchen Hardy from The Porch with a bit of help from some of us. Below is the registration / reservation form, the Shalom Cloud payment link and a Sign Up Genius link for items not provided by The Porch – such as Charoset, Gefilte fish, karpas, maror, desserts, hard boiled eggs, horse radish. Due to the caterer’s increased supply chain costs our costs have gone up. Based on an estimate of 65 participants, the actual cost per person including security and space rental is $68.00 but we are only asking $35 for adults. The net difference (> $2000) will be partially covered by BAJC’s Pesach budget ($1000). We hope to make up the remainder with a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, but there is no guarantee. If you’d like to contribute more than $35, BAJC will be grateful.
Online registration and payment information at this link.
Or register & pay via snail mail as described below. You need not sign up for a specific entree. As was the case last year, everyone may have some of each dish.
JUDA Kids Club's Great Model Matzah Bakery!
Happening Sunday, April 6th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at Chabad of Burlington! RSVP at www.chabadvt.org/juda
JCOGS Passover Palooza
In partnership with PJ Library and Stowe Free Library.
Storytime, crafts, music & fun for kids birth to 6 years old and families at the Stowe Free Library! Join Shabbasaurus and Tzipi the Curious Bird and special guest for a sweet Shabbat morning learning all about Passover. With special treats!
For families with kids from birth to six years old.
In partnership with PJ Library and Stowe Free Library.t
Runaway Matzo Ball
Tot Shabbat with Anna Sobel’s Talking Hands – pre-Passover program: The Runaway Matzo Ball, followed by Pizza
BJ Purim Party!
Come celebrate Purim with us!
Our annual Purim Party is fun for all ages. Come in costume (if you want!) Get ready for tzedekah box decorating, listening to a portion of the megillah in both English and Hebrew, and of course, stay for pizza and hamantaschen!
Registration is required.
Family Purim Party
Carnivale-inspired puppets get folks up and moving with games, parades, rhythm, and dance, while smaller hand puppet versions of the characters handle the story of Queen Esther.
Family Purim Celebration
Celebrate the joyous Purim holiday with the entire family with a day filled with fun, laughter, and community spirit! Here’s what we have planned for this amazing day:
10:15 – 10:30 AM:
We’ll kick things off with a delightful Preschool Storytime with Clergy, where little ones can hear the Purim story come to life in an interactive and engaging way.
10:30 – 11:00 AM:
Join us for the Megillah Reading and Costume Parade! Everyone is encouraged to dress up in your favorite costumes as we read the Megillah together and parade through the celebration.
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM:
The fun continues with our Purim Carnival! There’s something for everyone, with games, crafts, prizes, bouncy castle, and more! Be sure to check out all the activities, including:
Mishloach Manot Making to share with friends and family
Delicious Hamantaschen to enjoy
Fun Face Painting to get into the spirit of the day
A fabulous Raffle with great prizes!
We’re so glad you’re here to celebrate with us—let’s make this Purim one to remember!
Suggested Donation – $18/Family
Purim Speil & Party
Join us in celebrating Purim and Cantorial Soloist Mark Leopold!
Set to music from Man of La Mancha, this original and ambitious show is a must see.
Long-time Cantorial Soloist Mark Leopold celebrates his retirement by donning the silly king’s crown—his first time ever in the role. Bring your groggers and cheer on our talented community as we transport you to a Persia set in seventeenth-century Spain for music and merriment and where the impossible dreams come true!
The Purimspiel starts at 6:00 and has a runtime of about one hour. It will be streamed on Zoom.
Note: In accordance with Ketuvim, some characters in the Purimspiel will portray excessive drinking. That aside, the show is family friendly.
Purim Party
The Purim party begins immediately following our performance and will have family-friendly activities and sweet treats. Costumes optional but encouraged.
Purim Palooza
Costumes Encouraged! Fun For All Ages! Free!
Donations Appreciated
Music & Dancing
Hamantaschen & Refreshments
Craft Projects
Juggling Workshop & More!
Tot Shabbat and Young Families Purim Party
There will be a Tot Shabbat service in the sanctuary starting at 9:30 am. Then we will move into the social hall for crafts, toys, face painting, and a photo booth.
Costumes are encouraged!
Please register by clicking on the button below so that we will know how many Purim baskets (Mishloach Manot) to make!
Contact Aimee Hutton for questions and more information.
Erev Purim Megillah Reading
Join us at Beth Jacob for a Hebrew reading of the megillah with a guest reader from Chabad in Burlington. Stay for a hamentaschen (or two!) RSVP below!
Megillah Reading and Purim Celebration – 2025
Join us for a joyous Purim celebration! We’ll begin with the weekday Maariv evening service, followed by the reading of the Megillah. Afterward, we’ll transition into a lively celebration with food, schmoozing, and dancing for those who feel like it.
We’ll celebrate the mitzvah of eating together and, of course, indulge in some delicious hamantaschen. A hearty lentil stew, quinoa salad, and dessert will be served.
As part of the Purim tradition, we will be collecting Matanot L’Evyonim (gifts for those in need). Please bring a donation—either food or a financial contribution—to benefit the South Burlington Food Shelf.
Come in costume or check out our costume bin (think Mardi Gras). Hope to see you there!
JCOGS Family Purim Party
Come and join us at JCOGS for this annual Family Purim Party. Expect games, songs, Persian potluck, Megillah reading, and a silly spiel. Come in costume or dress up on sight.
Shoe B'Shvat
Beth Jacob is hosting an all ages/ all-levels snowshoe hike with Sarah Villanueva from 10:00am-12:00pm at North Branch Nature Center. Join naturalist Fiona Modrak for a guided hike where we discuss the local ecology of central Vermont and discuss how animals endure our winters! Take some trail mix home, each ingredient with a different intention as we bring in Tu B'Shvat together!
Gentle disclaimer: this is not a boots hike. Trails are maintained for those using snoeshoes/cross country skiis, and divits in the snow disrupts this. Snowshoes are available for rent upon arrival. Registrants are responsible for renting their own shoes. Bringing your own is also welcome!
Registration required for snowshoe count. We hope to see you there!
https://www.bethjacobvt.org/event/34shoe-b39shvat34-nature-walk-in-person.html
Tu Bishvat: a Celebration for the Trees
Celebrate the deep beauty of mid-winter with Living Tree Alliance as we gather to honor the holiday of Tu BiShvat, the birthday of the trees. With programs for all ages, we’ll build our relationship with the earth and with each other.
Program includes:
4:30 p.m. Sledding down the big hill
5 p.m.: two programs offered in the field at dusk
Family Outdoor Tree Celebration with games and observations
Adult Contemplative Sunset Tree Connection with prayer, song, and reflection
6 p.m.: Shabbat candle lighting & tree poetry at the Common House, followed by dinner and deepening our commitments as earth stewards as part of the birthday for the trees and mini Tu BiShvat seder.
A few more details:
Be sure to dress warmly for outdoor activities from 4:30–6 p.m.
Bring sleds, skis, and snowshoes for outdoor fun on the property.
Soup, salad and challah will be provided for dinner. You are welcome to bring a vegetarian side dish to share.
Please join us!
Tu BiShvat falls approximately halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. As the trees become another year older, this holiday invites us to consider the ways we can live in reciprocity with Mother Nature.
Challah Baking Class
On Thursday, February 13th, at 6:30 pm, on what is also the holiday of Tu B’Shvat, we’ll be hosting a Challah Baking Workshop. Learn how to make your own Challah, or if you know how, join us in whipping up a big batch to share with the Waterbury Common Market (previously known as the Waterbury Area Food Shelf.)
We’ll have a delicious Tu B’Shvat spread and celebrate the holiday as we get covered in flour for a good cause. Send a RSVP to sara@chabadofstowe.com so we can be prepared with materials for you.
Tu Bishvat Virtual Lobby Day for Climate Solutions with Jewish Earth Alliance
Take Action for People and Planet on Tu Bishvat
Tu Bishvat Virtual Lobby Day for Climate Solutions with Jewish Earth Alliance
February 13, 2025
Join climate-concerned Jews across Vermont and the Jewish Earth Alliance for Tu Bishvat -- our Jewish Earth Day. On Tu Bishvat we remember our dependence on nature and our responsibility to take care of Earth so that it can take care of us.
Today the Earth itself is threatened by climate change. This Tu Bishvat we will take action to urge our senators towards a just transition. By advocating for policies to clean up the pollution caused by fossil fuels, build renewable energy capacity, and further equity by investing in communities, we act on our shared Jewish values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Bal Tashchit (not to waste), as well as our imperative to be Shomrei Adamah (stewards of the land).
You can make a difference on Tu Bishvat by joining members of our community for a virtual meeting with your Senators and their staff. Jewish Earth Alliance, the organizing power of this meeting, will provide you with everything you need to participate. Join us on Zoom, February 13th 2025 to Register now.
Tu B'Shevat Seder
Join us for our Tu B'Shvat Seder at Beth Jacob! We will be seated and starting at 5:30pm.
Registration is required and by sliding scale $5-$10. Please reach out to Sarah if cost is an issue - we do not want anything preventing you from celebrating with us!
Allergy disclaimer: almonds, walnuts.
Kids Tu B'Shvat Treehouse Adventure!
Kids Tu B'Shvat Treehouse Adventure!
Save the Date: Sunday, February 9th from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Chabad of Burlington
RSVP HERE
8th Night of Hanukkah Party
Hanukkah Party Everyone Welcome 8th Night!!!! Bring Latkes and Menorahs
Chanukah Bonfire & Community Sing
We'll gather at Living Tree for an intergenerational celebration including:
Community crafts and games for all ages—you don't want to miss the infamous Maccabee fort, human dreidel contest, and gelt stacking!
A special music performance for the little ones with Miss Andrea of Musical Munchkins
Menorah lighting—feel free to bring your own!
Chanukah storytelling
Cozy potluck dinner—Latkes and Soup will be provided - bring a vegetarian dish to share
Seasonal song circle around the bonfire with Musicians Avi Salloway and Emma Back.
Co-sponsored by Jewish Communities of Vermont, PJ Library VT and Living Tree Alliance
Pay-what-you-can donation ($18–$56 per family suggested). No one turned away for inability to pay.Donations for this event will be split between LTA's end-of-year fundraising goals and the Good Samaritan homeless warming shelter in Montpelier.