Calendar

Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.

Apr
7
Sun
GORE: Passover Demonstration: April 7 @ Calvin Community Church
Apr 7 @ 7:00 PM

See the source image

Have you ever wondered why Christians are instructed to regularly use bread and wine to remember the death of Jesus? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal and find out!

This demonstration of the ancient Passover meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 1-hour demonstration is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover meal…until He returns!

Apr
12
Fri
AUCKLAND: PASSOVER SEDER BANQUET: April 12 @ Northcross Intermediate School
Apr 12 @ 5:00 PM

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!

See the source image

This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 3-hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!

Join Scott Brown and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.

We will enjoy a shared dinner and dessert, so please bring a plate if you are able.  Hot and cold drinks will be provided.  A donation toward the venue hire and a gift for the speaker will be appreciated.

RSVP Sue Whitcombe at office@jesusfirst.org.nz or 027 663 5009.

NELSON: PASSOVER SEDER BANQUET: April 12 @ St Peters Anglican Church
Apr 12 @ 5:30 PM

See the source image

Have you ever wondered why Jesus used bread and wine to talk about his sacrifice for us? Explore Jesus’ last Passover meal for yourself and find out!

This demonstration of the ancient Passover Seder meal powerfully reveals the sacrificial ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God, and uncovers the roots of the Christian communion, using the very elements God prescribed for the Seder itself. The 3-hour experience is an unforgettable journey through the “Last Supper,” which was, in fact, the Messiah’s last Passover Seder…until He returns!

Join Zohar Gonen and discover how this ancient holiday is GOOD NEWS for us today.

RSVP to Christine Naseri at 03 545 2409.

Sep
19
Thu
CHRISTCHURCH: “ASK ME ANYTHING” (AMA) SESSION WITH RABBI ARIEL TAL: SEPT 19 @ Sumner Community Centre
Sep 19 @ 7:30 PM

CHRISTCHURCH:

“ASK ME ANYTHING” (AMA) SESSION

WITH

RABBI ARIEL TAL

RABBI OF THE WELLINGTON JEWISH COMMUNITY

19 SEPTEMBER 2019

Following the massacres, it’s clear that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of minorities in our community.  With that lack comes uncertainty, anxiety and even fear.  Unfortunately we humans often respond with prejudice and intolerance.  One of those minorities is the Jewish community and those who adhere to Judaism.

We are honoured to host Rabbi Ariel Tal to join us for an “Ask Me Anything” session where he will take questions from the floor.

Rabbi Ariel Tal is an experienced educator, Rabbi and marketing expert, serving in positions in both North America and Israel. Rabbi Tal has a education degree from Ohalo College in the Golan Heights, Israel, Rabbinical Semicha from Israel Chief Rabbinate, and is a Personal Coach through Da’at U’Tevuna School in Rechovot, Israel. He has taught at the Netivot HaTorah Day School in Toronto, Kibbutz Lavi Primary School and the educational organisation Livnot U’Lehibanot.

With such wide experiences, Ariel is well able to answer questions on Judaism, Jewish life in Israel, the Diaspora and New Zealand.

Ever wondered what Judaism stood for? What it says about the meaning of life? What Judaism says about how the world ends?

A Jewish perspective on the Middle East Conflict and Palestinian Arab relations? What Jews outside of Israel think of the Middle Eastern situation?

What impression New Zealanders have made on Ariel and his family? His thoughts on New Zealand culture and what its like to live in Wellington?

That’s just a few questions you could ask him.

A rare opportunity to publicly quiz a Jewish Rabbi in person.

Where: Sumner Community Centre, 14-16 Wakefield Avenue, Sumner, Christchurch.

When: 7.30pm, Thursday, September 19.

Admission: A plate of finger food. Please avoid pork and seafood products. A collection will be taken to help defray expenses.

Dec
22
Sun
Chanukkah
Dec 22 @ 8:45 PM – Dec 30 @ 8:45 PM

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukkah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Jun
6
Sat
Limmud NZ and Oz: June 6-14 @ Online
Jun 6 – Jun 14 all-day
This year Limmud NZ is combining with Limmud Oz to provide a fascinating programme of Jewish learning online. Click here to see the programme. Click here for early bird registrations: $36 pp. ABOUT LIMMUD
From when we founded it in 2008, the national Jewish community embraced the annual Jewish Learning Conference, run by the Zionist Federation of New Zealand. When we started the JLC, we discovered that the community was hungry for more Jewish learning. And each year, we have strived to reach more people and make the conference even bigger and better. In 2010, we joined the international Limmud Federation. For the past 30 years, Limmud has brought Jewish education to communities around the world. Limmud brings together Jews of all strands, stripes and flavours, in an atmosphere of shared passion for and dedication to learning. We’re very proud to be part of the global Limmud community. We’ve got an exciting line-up this year, with presenters from near and far, presenting on a diverse range of scintillating topics.
Sep
18
Fri
Rosh HaShanah
Sep 18 @ 7:30 PM – Sep 20 @ 7:30 PM

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה), (literally “head of the year”), is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim (“Days of Awe”), celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. It is described in the Torah as יום תרועה (Yom Teru’ah, a day of sounding [the Shofar]).

Sep
27
Sun
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Sep 27 – Sep 28 all-day

Yom Kippur (/ˌjɒm kɪˈpʊər, ˌjɔːm ˈkɪpər, ˌjm-/;[1] Hebrew: יוֹם כִּיפּוּר, IPA: [ˈjom kiˈpuʁ], or יום הכיפורים), also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.[2] Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.

Source: Wikipedia

Oct
2
Fri
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
Oct 2 @ 7:30 PM – Oct 9 @ 7:30 PM

Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות‎ or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt), commonly translated as Festival of Tabernacles (traditional Ashkenazi spelling Sukkos/Succos) also known as Chag HaAsif (חג האסיף), the Festival of Ingathering, is a biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishrei (varies from late September to late October). During the existence of the Jerusalem Temple, it was one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Hebrew: שלוש רגלים‎, shalosh regalim) on which the Israelites were commanded to perform a pilgrimage to the Temple.

The names used in the Torah are Chag HaAsif, translated to “Festival of Ingathering” or “Harvest Festival”, and Chag HaSukkot, translated to “Festival of Booths”.[5] This corresponds to the double significance of Sukkot. The one mentioned in the Book of Exodus is agricultural in nature—”Festival of Ingathering at the year’s end” (Exodus 34:22)—and marks the end of the harvest time and thus of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel. The more elaborate religious significance from the Book of Leviticus is that of commemorating the Exodus and the dependence of the People of Israel on the will of God (Leviticus 23:42–43).

The holiday lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the diaspora. The first day (and second day in the diaspora) is a Shabbat-like holiday when work is forbidden. This is followed by intermediate days called Chol Hamoed, when certain work is permitted. The festival is closed with another Shabbat-like holiday called Shemini Atzeret (one day in Israel, two days in the diaspora, where the second day is called Simchat Torah). Shemini Atzeret coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot outside Israel.

The Hebrew word sukkōt is the plural of sukkah, “booth” or “tabernacle“, which is a walled structure covered with s’chach (plant material, such as overgrowth or palm leaves). A sukkah is the name of the temporary dwelling in which farmers would live during harvesting, a fact connecting to the agricultural significance of the holiday stressed by the Book of Exodus. As stated in Leviticus, it is also intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and many people sleep there as well.

On each day of the holiday it is mandatory to perform a waving ceremony with the Four Species.

Source: Wikipedia

Oct
12
Mon
Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
Oct 12 @ 7:30 PM – Oct 14 @ 7:30 PM

Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת – “the Eighth [day] of Assembly”) is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (first month of calendar). In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah. In Israel and Reform Judaism, the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are combined into a single day and the names are used interchangeably.

Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah (also Simkhes Toreh, Hebrew: שִׂמְחַת תורָה, lit., “Rejoicing with/of the Torah,”) is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Biblical Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret (“Eighth Day of Assembly”), which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei (mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar).