Involving Jewish Men in Jewish Life and Spiritual Growth
Summer is here—what’s on your calendar? As we come to the realization that we are blessed to live in the Sunshine State, this is also a good time for your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to look back and to look ahead. Begin by consulting the Gregorian and Hebrew calendar so you can avoid scheduling meetings, programs or events during times that conflict with Jewish religious observances.
Planning the Annual Programming Cycle
Your first logical calendar entry is to reserve a monthly recurring time slot for a Men’s Club or Brotherhood “business meeting” to discuss, reach consensus and plan. Ensure that you keep a written record of matters discussed and decided – if you don’t write it down then it never happened. A fun, stress free way to start your annual programming cycle is with a purely social, late summer, pre- High Holiday’s get together such as a “Back to Shul BBQ”. This is an easy way for your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to start a buzz and announce HINENI, “Here I Am”.
Next, schedule a date to erect your congregational Sukkah, a night to enjoy a meal in the Sukkah and a date to deconstruct the Sukkah. SuperBowl Sunday morning is the traditional date for Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods take part in the World Wide Wrap, an educational initiative begun by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) to encourage everyone – men, women and youth – to learn about, experience and promote the mitzvah of wrapping tefillin. Plan a special springtime Men’s Club Shabbat or Brotherhood Shabbat weekend. This is an effective way to raise visibility of your Men’s Club and highlight the participation of your Men’s Club in the religious and social fabric of your synagogue.
Understanding the Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar is based on lunar months and years, consisting of 12 lunar months (29.5 days each), resulting in a year of 354 days, which necessitates the addition of leap months every 2-3 years in a 19-year cycle. This cycle leads to variations in the total number of days, ranging from 353 to 385 days, influenced by the length of individual months, which can be either 29 (defective) or 30 (male) days. All Jewish Holy Days and Festivals begin at sundown the evening before the date shown and conclude at nightfall of the last day.
Structure of the Jewish Months
The following table outlines the lengths and types of months within the first half of the scriptural calendar:
| Month | Type | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Nissan | Male | 30 days |
| Iyar | Defective | 29 days |
| Sivan | Male | 30 days |
| Tammuz | Defective | 29 days |
| Av | Male | 30 days |
| Elul | Defective | 29 days |
Significant Religious and Historical Holidays
- 15 Nissan: Passover begins
- 28 Nissan: Yom HaShoah
- 6 Sivan: Shavuot
- 9 Av: Fast of Tisha B’av
- 1st of Tishrei: Rosh Hashanah and begins a new year
- 10 Tishrei: Yom Kippur
- 15 Tishrei: Sukkot
- 24 Kislev: Chanukah begins
Spiritual Renewal Through Prayer and Fasting
The goal of fasting is to draw near to God. Biblical fasting always has to do with eliminating distractions for spiritual purpose; it hits the reset button of our soul and renews us from the inside out. It prepares our hearts for all the good things God desires to bring into our lives. Prayer is simply the medium through which we communicate and commune with God. The practice of prayer is learning to set aside dedicated time to intentionally be with God.
Creating a Daily Prayer Rhythm
- Decide on a time and a place to pray.
- Decide on and commit to a time duration. Don’t overreach.
- Create routines or rituals you actually enjoy to make your daily prayer habit something you look forward to all day long.
- Ultimately, work with your personality, not against it.
ACTS is a simple, but powerful way to pray. We can even go back to the ancient prayers from the Bible, such as the Lord’s Prayer, and other saint prayers, and see the model in action. It is our hope that your prayer life becomes more natural, effective, and enjoyable.
Scriptural References for Reflection
- Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
- Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
- Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.