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Jewish Holidays and Commemorations

Rosh Chodesh Elul: (Sundown, August 12 – August 14th)

Rosh Chodesh Elul is one of the four new year’s according to the Talmud.  It is the new year for animals and relates to the ancient practice of animal tithing – or accounting for cattle. It is also one of five Hebrew months that is always a two-day Rosh Chodesh. Months that have 30 days observe Rosh Chodesh for 2 days. Elul is a time for spiritual reflection as it is the month just before Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance.  

• 📖 Get ready for the new year with Intention Acrostics 
• 🧿 Go for some animal cuddles.  Visit a pet store or animal shelter as you think about the new year for animals. 
• 🧿 Hold an animal new year’s party – visit a pet farm or zoo and celebrate the animals. 
• 🧿 📖 Go to puppy or goat yoga and learn about Judaism’s thoughts on human relationships to pets/animals 
• 📖 Many Jewish communities say Psalm 27 everyday throughout Elul. Learn about Psalm 27 
• 🧿 📖Host a pottery night and kick it off with this Elul-inspired clay meditation 

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Torah Portions

Saturday, August 1^st:  Parashat Ekev – “Consequently”

This Torah portion outlines the benefits of keeping God’s commandments.  It reminds the Israelites of the things that were done wrong while wandering and then praises the Land of Israel as they’re getting closer to the Promised Land.  There are several familiar verses in this portion such as ‘Humans do not live on Bread Alone (Deuteronomy 8:3)’, ‘The Clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did your feet swell.’  (Deut 8:4) 

• 🌱 📖 Host a clothing or shoe recycling event, or host a Teshuva Torah and Clothing Swap in prep for Elul and the start of the new school year! 
• 🧿 Learn about the significance of the Seven Species of food mentioned in this Torah portion and host a meal that features all seven species, or host a cocktail/mocktail tasting.
• 📖 Challenge the Torah’s teachings about interacting with other faith traditions and host an interfaith event to learn about the ways Judaism and other religions can support each other and coexist 
• 📖 What does God want from you… (Deut 10:12) What does it mean to pray or do with a whole heart? Talk about this as you hold a learner’s Shabbat or meditation Shabbat. 

Saturday, August 8^th: Parashat Re’eh – “See”

This Torah portion is about choices.  If you choose to follow God’s laws, you get all the blessings.  And if you turn to idolatry then you get the curses.  There’s a commandment to create one central place for worship, follow the dietary laws and give Tzedakah.  

• 🌱 Learn about eco Kashrut and the ethical treatment of animals.  (Deut 12:21) 
• 🌱 Communal Tzedakah program.  Everyone brings in 2 agencies they like and contributes $10.  Vote on the top 2 or 3 agencies and communally donate while learning about many cool non-profits. 

Saturday, August 15^th: Parashat Shoftim – “Judges”

Lawyers unite! This Torah portion is all about creating the legal practices for the Israelite community. It establishes judges and justice, Cities of Refuge, Laws of War and the obligation to not destroy the earth. 

• 🧿 No kings in America, but there are kings in other countries.  Host a British Royalty Shabbat and have a trivia contest with British Royalty facts. (Deut 17:15) 
• 🧿 In the spirit of axes, find a local axe throwing place and have an Axe Throwing program.  (Deut 19:5) 
• 🌱 📖 Have a recycled crafting party and learn about Ba’al Tashchit, not destroying the earth.  
• 📖 Go for a walk in an arboretum (or just a park!) and learn about Asherah, a Canaanite tree-goddess who appears in ancient Israelite religion (Deut. 16:21) 

Saturday, August 22^nd: Parashat Ki Teitzei – “When You Go Out”

Who are we, how do we act, and how can we help others?  This Torah portion is a collection of laws that help stress the need for ethical, compassionate, communal living.

• 🌱 How do you treat a child who needs more?  This portion talks about how to treat a wayward and rebellious child. (Deut 21:18) Partner with Big Brothers/Big Sisters to help children who don’t get all the love and support they deserve. 
• 📖 What do you do if you come upon a bird’s nest.  Grab some binoculars and a bird guide and head out for some bird watching.  (Deut 22:6-7) 
• 🌱 📖 What rights do women have in the case of divorce.  (Deut 24:1) Learn about a Get and organizations who are helping women who are subjected to Get refusal.   
• 📖 This parsha includes a verse about clothing and gender. Attend a drag brunch and learn about how we can reinterpret this verse over time! 

Saturday, August 29^th: Parashat Ki Tavo – “When You Come”

This Torah talks about Bikkurim, first fruits, tithing, and blessings and curses.  It also talks about blessings and curses and what life will be like in the Promised land.   

• 🌱 In the spirit of tithing or bringing your first fruits, volunteer at a food pantry or prepare a meal to help with food insecurity.  (Deut 24:19) 
• 🧿 The Israelites learn that when they get to the Promised Land it’s going to be a land flowing with milk and honey.  Have a dairy party Shabbat and go all in on dairy.  Don’t forget the Lactaid for this one!  (Deut 27:3) 

Secular Celebrations and Remembrances

August 1st (Su): International Mahjong Day 

• 🧿 Learn how to play mahjong or learn about why mahjong has become such a mainstay in the Jewish community.

Arrr-gust: International Pirate Month

• 🧿 Host a Pirate party and learn about Jewish pirates. 

August 2^nd (Mo):  National Sunflower Day 

• 🧿 Host a flower arranging program and learn about the practice of hiddur mitzvah.

August 4^th (We): National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day 

• 📖 Curl up with milk and cookies and talk about lessening stress in Judaism

August 5^th (Th): National Underwear Day 

• 🌱 Add a new underwear clothing drive to any program you’re hosting for a quick Tikkun Olam injection. 

August 8^th (Sa): National Pickleball Day 

• 🧿 Learn about the Jewish connections to Pickleball and get some games going
• 📖 Or, put the pickle in pickleball and host a pickling workshop or pickle-tasting party while you learn about Judaism & pickles 

August 10^th (Mo): National Bowling Day 

• 🧿 Did you know bowling used to be huge in Jewish life?  Check out the history here.

August 11^th (Tu): National Face Mask Day 

• 📖 Another program chance to bring in the spa day and lessen stress

August 13^th (Th): International Lefthanders Day 

• 🧿 Lefties unite.  Have everyone try and peel carrots, cut paper, or do something with their non-dominant hand.  Read about left handedness in Judaism. 
• 📖  Explore the traditional Jewish legal and symbolic preference for the right hand (e.g., wearing the wedding ring, placing the mezuzah, pouring the Kiddush cup) and contrast it with the story of Ehud ben Gera from the Book of Judges (Shoftim 3), whose left-handedness was a secret weapon used to rescue the Israelites. 

August 14^th (Fr): National Financial Awareness Day 

• Invite a financial planner to talk about saving money and financial literacy.  Use Joseph as your inspiration.  
• 📖 🌱 Get to know Maimonides’ Eight Levels of Tzedakah and brainstorm worthy causes that would be a good fit for each level. 

August 16^th (Su): National Rum Day 

• 🧿 Make a batch of Rum Punch and learn about Jews of the Caribbean

August 17^th (Mo): International Homeless Animals Day

• 🌱 Head to a humane society or shelter and volunteer 

August 18^th (Tu): World Breast Cancer Research Day 

• 🌱 Use resources from Sharsheret and embrace the pink.   
• 📖 Learn about Jewish genetics and the Ashkenazi bottleneck theory 

August 21^st (Fr): Senior Citizens Day 

• 🧿 Host an intergenerational Shabbat prep program where you braid challah with seniors from a local community center 

August 22^nd (Sa): International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief 

• 📖 Explore the text “Anyone who destroys a single life, it is as if they destroyed an entire world” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5), which is shared in various forms across both Jewish and Islamic traditions. Discuss historical Jewish responses to persecution and how it drives contemporary Jewish advocacy for other marginalized religious groups. 

August 24^th (Mo): International Strange Music Day 

• 🧿 Host a “Strange (and Beautiful) Jewish Music” listening session or mocktail hour 
• 🧿 Highlight quirky Jewish music pioneers like John Zorn’s Radical Jewish Culture movement, or how early Jewish composers shaped electronic music (like Gershon Kingsley, who wrote the 1969 synth hit “Popcorn”). 

August 30^th (Su): National Beach Day 

• 🧿 Imagine that you’re on the Mediterranean Sea and have an Israel beach party day.  Get some paddles and play matkot, pay shesh-beish (backgammon) have a picnic, do some beach drumming.  Or, talk about the Jewish connection to water. 

Compiled by Rabbi Shari Shamah, with contributions made by Abbey London, Rabbi Rachael Pass, and Annie Prusky.