Mat-Su Jewish Center celebrating full month of holidays with community

PALMER — The Mat-Su Jewish Center recently celebrated Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot with the local Jewish community and others from across the Borough.

September is a full month of holy holidays among the Jewish people, and the Center is all about making the various ceremonies and times of spiritual reflection available throughout the year. Next is Simchat Torah, which occurs Sept. 27 through the 29th. Then comes Chanukah to wrap up the year.

Greenberg said that having all these holidays run back to back offers a unique opportunity for locals to visit their campus and celebrate their heritage, faith, family, and friends under the common connection to God’s teachings through the Torah.

“I think it’s all-encompassing with all the different people and all the different styles and we have to bring them all together as one,” Rabbi Mendy Greenberg said. “I think it’s a really important and timely message for today in our society.”

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and time for spiritual reflection, according to Greenberg. He said it’s a time to pray for God’s forgiveness and wisdom to live according to the Commandments.

Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism with atonement and repentance as the central themes.

Sukkot is a holiday centered around represents the fact that all existence is fragile, and therefore Sukkot is a time to appreciate the shelter of our homes and our bodies.

For a full week, Jewish people across the world pay homage to their faith by spending time within minimal huts engaging in prayer and other rituals honoring their connection to God while giving thanks for His lasting protection.

Greenberg recently set up a temporary outdoor structure attached to their home in conjunction with this year’s Sukkot celebrations, inviting anyone to come and pray with them. Last year, he offered a mobile “Sukkot on Wheels” to accommodate those seeking social distance.

Simchat Torah or Simhat Torah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the start of a new cycle.

For more information about the Mat-Su Jewish Center and upcoming festivities, youth programs, and other services, call 907-350-1787 or visit matsujewishcenter.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com