Daily Minyan

HANUKKAH: WHEN THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS FALLS LATE

No matter what happens on the Gregorian calendar, Hanukkah always starts on 25 Kislev. By a quirk of the Hebrew lunar calendar, the first eve of Hanukkah this year falls extremely late on the secular calendar – in fact, we light the first candle on the eve of that other winter holiday, the one that’s celebrated on December 25.

In terms of religious practice, Hanukkah’s lateness means little. We still light candles every evening for eight days. At morning minyan, we will read Torah and chant a full Hallel each day of Hanukkah. But there are practical implications, primarily because from Sunday, December 22, through Wednesday, January 1, the Adas Israel building will be closed for almost everything to give the synagogue’s staff a much-deserved break. The exceptions will be morning minyan, as well as Shabbat morning services and mincha on December 28 (a community-wide erev Shabbat service will be held at Washington Hebrew Congregation on December 27). During that period, all evening services will be Zoom-only at 6 p.m. Morning minyan will meet in-person and via Zoom at 9 a.m. on December 22, December 25, December 29 and January 1, and at 7:30 a.m. on other days. The building will reopen on Thursday, January 2, with morning minyan at 7:30 a.m. and evening minyan, both in-person and via Zoom, at 6p.m.

Revised schedule for federal holidays. Morning minyan on these federal holidays will start at 9 a.m. and evening minyan will be Zoom-only.