Shemini Atzeret 2020 Resource Guide

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September 3, 2020

by Shaina Abrams-Kornblum, Eastern Community Manager

During the High Holy Days, there is one holiday that often goes unnoticed because it is closely sandwiched between Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Introducing: Shemini Atzeret! The Hebrew word “Shemini” means “eighth” because it falls on the 8th day after the start of Sukkot. So what are we supposed to do to celebrate? Shemini Atzeret starts on Friday, October 9th at sundown and goes until Saturday, October 10th at sundown. It is a unique holiday that often gets overlooked because there are no specific rituals or ritual items associated with it. When Jewish holidays are often so rich with meaning and symbols, how do we find meaning and celebrate a holiday without big customs with our community? Below, you will find some program ideas to use with your community as you celebrate the holiday of Shemini Atzeret through the themes of fulfilling the mitzvah to rejoice in festivals and through gratitude and self-care.

The Mitzvah to Rejoice in Festivals

Shemini Atzeret means that we are no longer shaking the lulav and the etrog in the Sukkah. Sukkot is over, but we can still eat in the Sukkah to celebrate the holiday. The Torah commands us to rejoice in festivals, so Shemini Atzeret should be no different!

+ - Program Ideas

Host a Jewish Powerpoint party to bring some joy to your community. Host it on Zoom or set up an outdoor space with a projector. Watch this Youtube video for instructions on how to set up a projector screen on a budget and read this article for how to create a backyard movie setup in three easy steps. Choose Jewish topics like the best and worst Jewish food, funny Yiddish words, how to make a new Jewish holiday, an in-depth analysis of Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song, the most ridiculous Jewish words of wisdom, or strange biblical narratives. Be sure to check in with your Regional Jewish Educator for some examples of strange biblical narratives.
Challenge your community to write their own comedic midrash (AKA Torah fan fiction) to present about Shemini Atzeret or other biblical stories. Midrash is the original Jewish humor and so much about the holiday is unknown. Anyone can write midrash by using a modern day perspective to try to explain what happens in different biblical stories or explain a part of the story that may be missing or doesn’t quite make sense. In the 1970s, many women started engaging with writing midrash stories to help fill the gaps since many of the stories we hear are only about men. Read more here about the story of Lilith in the Garden of Eden to help inspire some new ideas from new perspectives. Here are some midrash ideas to ask your community members to explore:
- What is Shemini Atzeret and why is it important? What story brought us to celebrate Shemini Atzeret?
- What was life like on Noah’s ark?
- How did Abraham and Sarah first meet? Who made the first move?
- What did Miriam’s life look like?
- What would the story of Joseph look like today?
Host an Jewish Learning event about the Jewish connection to Joy. Start by following the three-step process on the Moishe House Jewish Learning Tree, then bring intention to a Jewish learning program by asking community members to map out the Jewish year and describe which parts of the year’s cycle have a joyous quality and which have a somber quality. Here are some examples to use:
- Have your participants listen to this podcast from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks about the deep power of joy in our lives before the program and then discuss in small groups or Zoom breakout rooms.
- Use this discussion guide from Yitzhak Bornstein, Moishe House Regional Jewish Educator and Resident alum. The resource includes some guiding questions to help lead a discussion about finding joy.

Gratitude and Self Care

The Hebrew word “atzar” is in “atzeret”, and means “to stop” and reminds us that Shemini Atzeret provides us with the perfect time to relax and reflect. We just spent the last month celebrating the Jewish new year with Rosh Hashanah, the day of atonement with Yom Kippur, and a whole week of eating in the Sukkah. Sometimes you need a vacation after your vacation just to recover, and this marathon of holidays that we just celebrated is no different. This unprescribed holiday leaves room for us to have a day of relaxation and process everything that we have learned during the high holidays.

+ - Program Ideas

Host a self-care workshop for your community on Zoom or socially distanced in a local park. Use this self-care workbook and exercises by Terry Wunder, Senior Program Director, to assist in facilitating a meaningful self-care workshop. You will learn all about your urgency index and build your own self-care first aid kit to help you chill out. If you are able to host this program in person, you can use your budget to get the guide printed for your community members that attend.
Host a Mi Shaberech Shabbat with this resource from OneTable. It has everything you need to host a meaningful Shemini Atzeret Shabbat including a discussion guide and intention setting activity.
Use this “Growing in Gratitude” discussion guide by LJ Jalfon, Northwest Community Manager, to facilitate a meaningful Jewish learning program on practicing gratitude and how it relates to Judaism.

Additional Resources

+ - Financial Resources

Moishe House Residents may be eligible for extra funding from Moishe House for High Holiday programs. Please contact your Moishe House Community Manager for more information about how to apply for High Holiday Grants.