Jewish Life at the Home

Daughters of Israel offers a nice array of Jewish religious and cultural programming for those of all backgrounds.

WEEKDAY PRAYER SERVICES
Daughters of Israel has a beautifully appointed on-site synagogue with full-time rabbinical services. Our chaplain, Rabbi Zvi Karpel, holds weekday and Shabbat services in the Orthodox tradition. All residents and families are welcome to attend services. Daughters of Israel also holds Egalitarian Friday evening services, which takes place in the beautiful Sudler Atrium.

SHABBAT PRAYER SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING
The Shabbat Simcha program is held on Friday afternoons. The program seeks to elevate the spiritual lives of residents struggling with illness and end of life issues through an enhanced program of Jewish music and stories. Intergenerational programs abound here with local synagogue nursery schools and area camps often performing for the residents.

Shabbat prayer services include Friday night Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening) services in our synagogue. Saturday Shacharis (morning) services are held in both the morning and afternoon and conclude with Havdalah services on each unit. As noted above, there is also a Friday night Chavura Program.

JEWISH HOLIDAYS
Daughters of Israel celebrates all Jewish holidays and coordinates special activities and programming around them. For instance, Chanukah activities include latkes making, dreidel games, outdoor menorah lighting ceremony and a Chanukah party.

The Home celebrates the following Jewish holidays:

• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
  
• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
  
• Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
  
• Tu B’shvat (Festival of Trees)
  
• Purim (literally meaning “Lots,” celebrating the rescue of the Jews in Persia from Haman)
  
• Pesach (Passover)
  
• Sukkot (Festival of Booths)
  
• Simchat Torah (literally “Rejoicing with the Torah,” celebrating the completion and renewal of the cycle of Torah readings )
  
• Shemini Atzeret (literally the eighth day, referring to the end of Sukkot, with special prayer for rain)
  
• Shavuot (Festival of Weeks, celebrating the giving of the Torah)
  
• Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
  
• Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terrorism) and Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day)
  
• Tisha B’av (Ninth of Av, commemorating destruction of the two Holy Temples)

For more information about the Jewish holidays, visit www.Chabad.org/holidays.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
The Rabbi holds small study groups and discussions on the units throughout the month and regularly makes pastoral rounds on the units and in the hospitals. 

CONTACT
Rabbi Karpel can be reached at 973-400-3363 or rkarpel@doigc.org