Last updated 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2009.

Conservative Jews at Home

We are members of a synagogue that is associated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Our synagogue is relatively traditional, and women are counted as full members of the congregation.

What can we tell you about ourselves and how we are Jewish in a egalitarian yet traditional way? Every day is a new experience; every year we find that we encounter Jewish tradition and observance in new ways. Currently, we have two major pieces to this part of our site. The first is what we call Big Jewish Topics and how we deal with them. The second is the yearly holiday cycle and how we celebrate.

There are many places to begin a discussion of the Jewish year and the cycle it makes. We have chosen to begin with the Spring holiday of Pesach and work our way through the year to Purim.

• On Pesach we celebrate our freedom.
• From Pesach to Shavuot we count the omer.
• On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Torah.
• At Tisha B'Av we mourn the destruction of the Temple.
• During the month of Tishrei, we examine our lives and our relationships with G-d and each other during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, followed by the joy of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
• In the dark of winter, we light candles at Hanukkah.
• As the end of winter comes, we think ahead to rebirth and planting new trees during Tu B'Shevat.
• With Spring comes the hilarious holiday of Purim.