Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are often referred to as the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the New Year of the Jewish calendar, and it marks the beginning of a ten-day period of reflection and introspection concluding with Yom Kippur. Adas Emuno celebrates Rosh Hashanah with a variety of services. An evening service marking Erev Rosh Hashanah welcomes the holiday, and a morning service follows on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Our younger members and their families worship with a special and meaningful Family Service, which precedes the morning service. The second day of Rosh Hashanah is celebrated (weather permitting) with a Tashlich service and potluck picnic at the Englewood Boat Basin. During Tashlich, we cast crumbs into the Hudson River and symbolically start the year afresh.

Yom Kippur services begin with the Kol Nidre evening service. In recent years, we have been fortunate to have Fran Rowell, cellist, and Beth Robin, pianist, two wonderful and accomplished musicians, offering the Bruch Kol Nidre during our service. The services continue with morning, afternoon, and evening services on the Day of Atonement. Yizkor is included in our afternoon service. Congregation Adas Emuno is a true community and we conclude the Day of Atonement with a Congregational Break Fast.

Our Family Services are free and open to the community. Admission to all other high holiday services is by ticket only. Members in good standing receive tickets in the mail. Tickets to all other services are available for purchase by members who wish to bring their extended family members and by the unaffiliated in the surrounding community. If you are interested in purchasing High Holiday tickets contact the synagogue by telephone or e-mail.

Sukkot and Simchat Torah are joyously celebrated at Adas Emuno. A potluck dinner precedes our Erev Sukkot service. We build our own sukkah each year, and on occasion, a family can not only eat in our sukkah but, can opt to spend an evening under the stars. Our Religious School students decorate our sukkah prior to the holiday. The Sukkot holiday concludes with a Festival morning service which includes Yizkor.

Simchat Torah is welcomed with dancing, singing and rejoincing with the torah and welcoming our new Religious School students with a consecration service. We have hosted a band on Simchat Torah in years past. Please check the temple calendar or contact us to see what we have planned this year!

Hanukkah is welcomed in numerous venues. Besides a Religious School party and a congregational party, Congregation Adas Emuno comes together for a Leonia Community Menorah lighting. Most recently, the town menorah was situated on our Congregation’s front lawn.

We also join together for a community candle lighting on the Shabbat during Chanukah, whereby our congregants bring their own chanukkiot (Chanukah menorahs) and candles and watch our social hall shine brightly during this Festival of Light.

The joyous holiday of Tu B’ Shevat, the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, is often celebrated at Adas Emuno with a Congregational seder which is somewhat similar to the seder for Passover. The holiday is known as the New Year for Trees. The Tu B’Shevat seder includes four glasses of wine, each with a different color, and includes the many varieties of fruits from the land of Israel.

In 2009, we celebrated Tu B’Shevat with a fun-filled and informative seder. A speaker from the Jewish National Fund (JNF) attended our seder and all attendees (including our youngest members) participated in an evening of dance, song, and meaningful readings. Check the Adas Emuno calendar for our next Tu B’Shevat celebration.

Purim is celebrated at Adas Emuno with a service including a reading from Megillat Esther (the scroll of Esther) and our Annual Purim Spiel. Additionally, our parents provide a carnival for our Religious School students and their families to which the entire congregation is invited. Check the Adas Emuno calendar for our next Purim service and Purim Carnival.

Passover is the time where we celebrate the Jewish people’s redemption from Egyptian bondage.Adas Emuno celebrates the holiday by sponsoring a Passover Seder Workshop with Cantor Shapiro. Passover Festival services include Yizkor and are held on the seventh day of Pesach. The Religious School also offers special Passover activities for all students.

Recently Adas Emuno began a special program for Pesach by offering a Seder Match-up. Any congregant who does not have a seder to attend will be matched up with a temple family who would love to have guests at their seder. We are proud to say that we always have many guest spaces available and everybody wishing to join a seder is accommodated.

This day is also referred to as Holocaust Remembrance Day. Congregation Adas Emuno shares this important service with the Conservative congregation in Leonia, Congregation Sons of Israel. In years past, the service has included testimonies from survivors who are members of our community.

Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Israeli Independence Day) is marked by a shared service with Congregation Sons of Israel. We joyfully celebrate the founding of the State of Israel, often including our Junior Choir. Check our Adas Emuno calendar for this year's date, time, and location.

On Erev Shavuot, we honor graduates of our Confirmation Class. The holiday concludes with a Festival morning service including Yizkor.