Saturday, November 15, 2:30-7pm

Contact: shaina.kasper@gmail.com, 802-922-4780

Where: Middlebury (RSVP for address)

Come build community, make crafts, celebrate havdallah and enjoy a potluck feast with us in Middlebury for an afternoon of holiday magic and mischief! Bring your knitting, your block you've been meaning to print, or your mending project... Or just bring yourself since we'll have plenty of crafts that you can make and take home!

And as the day fades into evening, we’ll gather for a havdallah ritual — songs, candles, and all the warmth of closing the week together. 

After havdallah we’ll feast at our potluck dinner at 5pm! Please bring a potluck dish to share. 

Please note: There will be air purifiers and masks available. This event is not kosher. There will be alcohol. The building is wheelchair accessible. Humans of all ages welcome (space is not child-proofed). If there is anything we can do or share for greater access for you and your family, please tell us when you RSVP!

Simchat Torah at Jory’s house in Burlington

Simchat Torah literally means "joy of Torah." On Simchat Torah we celebrate a year of Torah reading and going back to the beginning of the scroll. Of course there will be ice cream as we are in the dairy state of Vermont, and it is tradition to eat sweet treats and celebrate together on Simchat Torah!

Register Here. Exact location will be shared upon registration.

Access Notes: There are two small steps to enter the house. There may not be enough seats for everyone. There is free street parking but bike/walk/bus is best. 

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Havdalah under the Sukkah at a residential house in South Burlington

We will come together once again for Sukkot— the festival of impermanence, the celebration of the harvest, and the magic of eating under the stars—  we’re gathering on Saturday for havdallah song, bonfire, clothing swap and eating in the sukkah. Join us at a member’s house for a potluck feast outside. Please bring clothing to swap and a dish to share!

We will be making lulavs (read more here about the lulav) with plants that grow here in Vermont.

Address will be sent upon registering.

Access notes: There is a long and fairly steep driveway to walk up to reach the house, in addition to two small steps by the door. There is free and ample street parking.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles reading traditional Hebrew liturgy and English readings. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Yom Kippur evening service and break-fast at Main Street Landing in Burlington

We will be integrating and grounding our time, singing and breaking fast (in that order) around sundown. This will be a shorter service, a version of a Ne’ilah service. There will be a potluck meal for Break Fast! We will be blowing shofars and will sing songs in English and Hebrew.

Come 30 min early to join The Sacred Nap. Lay down and listen to some soft songs before the evening service begins. Bring a yoga mat or some soft things to lay on

Register here.

Access notes: The event is on the top floor, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance on Battery Street and elevator-accessible entrances from Lake Street. There are gender neutral and family-friendly bathrooms available. There is wheelchair accessible parking and paid street and lot parking. There will be a variety of seating options, masks available, and HEPA air filters. There will be a sound system and microphone.

Kids: Appropriate for all ages.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Yom Kippur morning service at Main Street Landing in Burlington

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year and marks a day of atonement. For us, this is a day of reflection, purification and reorientation as we turn inwards to do the work of teshuvah, or returning to your soul. We are trying a collectively-run, lay-led morning service for the first time. We will sing songs in English and many in Hebrew.

There will be a silent meditation 9-9:30. Services kick off at 9:30.

Please note there will be no song circle October 1 due to the High Holidays.

Register Here

Traditionally at this time we remember those who we have lost this past year. We invite you to bring an object or photo of a person, people, beings...(does not have to be exclusive to this year) to Yom Kippur morning service to place on an ancestral altar where their memories and lives can be honored and uplifted. There will be time to share aloud at the end of Yom Kippur morning services in a memorial service, Yizkor.

Accessibility Notes: The event is on the top floor the Lake Lobby, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance on Battery Street and elevator-accessible entrances from Lake Street. There are gender neutral and family-friendly bathrooms available. There is wheelchair accessible parking and paid street and lot parking. There will be a variety of seating options, masks available, and HEPA air filters. There will be a sound system and microphone.

Kid Programming: We aim to have separate programming for youth at the Yom Kippur morning service.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles reading traditional Hebrew liturgy and English readings. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Tashlich in Addison County

Tashlich is the practice of embodying teshuvah, repentance, the main focus of the High Holiday season… where we cast away “sins.” The ritual of Tashlich offers us the chance to recognize, feel in our bodies, and release ways in which we have missed the mark this year, both personally and collectively. Tashlich is an opportunity to ritualize​ ​and​ ​deepen​ ​our​ ​personal​ ​and​ ​collective​ ​commitments​ ​to​ ​justice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​coming​ ​year. And we set intentions to move forward differently.

Register here

We’ll be hosting this repentance ritual outside, near a body of water, reflecting on our right relationship with water especially in these years of flooding.

Access Notes: We have some different watery locations in mind, and will select a great place based on who is coming! Please tell us in the last question of this survey if you: use a wheelchair or walker, have small kids, have any other access needs!

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

A note about the date:

Yes, it’s true, this Tashlich is being held on Shabbat. Due to scheduling challenges, this is the only day and time we are able to host this event. We hope you can make it, but/and if it is your practice to stay home on Shabbat, we get it! We hope to see you at one of the many other High Holy Day events this season.

Shabbat Shuvah service and potluck at the Quaker Meeting House in Burlington

This is a meditative and musical Kabbalat Shabbat. “Shabbat Shuvah” literally means the “Shabbat of Returning,” and is a time to reflect and deepen our individual and collective inner work during these holy days (between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). We will sing songs in Hebrew and in English. There will be a potluck meal.

This service will be facilitated by Kohenet Yepeth Perla with Roots and Trails Friends. Meditation will be 6-6:30. Service begins at 6:30. Register Here

Accessibility: We’ll be using the Bassett House — to the right as you come down the driveway. There is limited parking available onsite, but more in the surrounding neighborhood. There is a ramp to enter the space. There will be air purifiers blowing.

Kids: Kids are welcome, and know this will be a quieter and meditative space.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Tashlich in Montpelier with Beth Jacob Synagogue at the Rec Field

Tashlich is the practice of embodying teshuvah, repentance, the main focus of the High Holiday season… where we cast away “sins.” The ritual of Tashlich offers us the chance to recognize, feel in our bodies, and release ways in which we have missed the mark this year, both personally and collectively. Tashlich is an opportunity to ritualize​ ​and​ ​deepen​ ​our​ ​personal​ ​and​ ​collective​ ​commitments​ ​to​ ​justice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​coming​ ​year. And we set intentions to move forward differently.

We will be blowing shofars and will sing songs in English.

This service will be facilitated by Shaina and is in collaboration with Beth Jacob Synagogue. Register Here with L’Chaim Collective or here with Beth Jacob.

We’ll be hosting this repentance ritual near a body of water, reflecting on our right relationship with water especially in these years of flooding.

We will meet at the Montpelier Rec Field on Poolside Drive. 

Kids: This event is outside and is appropriate for all ages.

Access Notes: There is a gazebo that can fit everyone in the event of rain. There is a portalet. There is wheelchair accessible parking. There are picnic tables and participants are encouraged to bring their favorite picnic blanket or camp chair. The gazebo is about 100 feet from parking and the bridge for the ritual is about 100 feet from the gazebo. There will be glutenous and gluten-free apple, nut and nut-free cake, apples, and honey provided and present.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

Erev Rosh Hashanah family service, potluck, and Birthday Party for the World! at Main Street Landing in Burlington

Register here

We’ll be hosting a family-oriented (yet rich learning and song for everyone, if you come alone or with a neighbor or a date!) service in the early evening, followed by a potluck feast and Birthday Party for the World. We will be blowing shofars and will sing songs in English and Hebrew.

Kids: Appropriate for all ages.

Accessibility Notes: The event is on the top floor in the Lake Lobby, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance on Battery Street and elevator-accessible entrances from Lake Street. There are gender neutral and family-friendly bathrooms available. There is wheelchair accessible parking and paid street and lot parking. There will be a variety of seating options, masks available, and HEPA air filters. There will be a sound system and microphone.

Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to hold roles reading traditional Hebrew liturgy and English readings. Sign up to hold a role here.

Register: You can register for any and all events at this link.

Donate: Our events are free and open for all to attend. If you’re financially able, we’re suggesting a donation of $36 to help us cover the costs of renting spaces and printing prayer books.

LOCATION: MAIN STREET LANDING, IN THE LAKE LOBBY!

TIME: 5 PM!

We are having a gorgeous, participatory potluck seder with abundant food, song, and prayer for liberation! In downtown Burlington. Save the date!

Come in a fabulous costume for L’Chaim Collective’s first ever Purim Party!

Two of our teen leaders are co-writing and directing a Purim spiel to help us both enjoy AND wrestle with the holiday of Purim. (Love you Sela + Coco!)

There will be a costume parade! An epic hamantaschen-themed potluck &  tasting competition! Dancing! And it’s a Saturday night, so of course: there will be Havdallah! 

A few other details: We invite you to make savory or sweet hamantaschen (think outside the box: pizza hamantaschen? Spinach & feta hamantaschen? Chocolate caramel almond? Etc!) for our potluck and to enter in our hamantaschen tasting competition. If not inspired by this, bring anything else to share for our potluck.

In the tradition of Mishloach Manot, or sharing gifts of sweetness with community, our teens are planning a food & supplies collection for our neighbors in need, so bring along some dry goods or household items (new!) to share. We’ll have a table set-up to make donation kits.

Schedules of Events:

4:30 - Welcome!

5:00pm - Purim Spiel Performance

5:30pm - Costume Parade

5:45 - Havdalah & Singing

6:15 - Potluck

7:00 - Announcing Winners of Hamantaschen Food Competition

7:15 - Dancing & Mocktail/Cocktails

As always, we will provide masks for anyone who wants one, and will open doors/windows for air flow if weather allows. There will be many chairs set-up for seating options.

We host a monthly community sing at the Burlington Friends Meeting House on North Prospect St! Mark your calendars for first Wednesdays + spread the word.

For increased access, we are adding masked only singing hour, 6-7 pm before the whole sing begins at 7 pm (masks optional). We run 4 air purifiers in the space.

This is for anyone who wants to be together and tend to our collective spirits. We will sing songs of grief, resistance, mourning, hope, protest, even joy.

We always share desserts — please bring a sweet treat or something to drink for the crew, or just bring yourself! If you have an instrument feel free to bring it. BYOB/ BYO-tea.

All are welcome. Bring your grandma & your roommate & your boo! Most songs will be in English and taught in the round.

Location: Burlington Friends Meeting on North Prospect  (the white building called the Basset House, in front of the meeting house)

For this month’s Havdalah, join L’Chaim for a Havdalah honoring Tu B’Shvat, the celebration or new year of trees. Here in VT, Tu B’shevat often coincides with the flowing of the maple sap.

We’ll be holding a “potluck” service at 5:30, so please bring a poem, a song, or a prayer that speaks to cycles of renewal, growth, and nature. We’ll begin with the traditional Havdalah blessings, and then open up the circle for others to share.

This will be followed by an actual potluck dinner, so bring a delicious dish to share, as well .

Accessibility notes: Kids always welcome. Alcohol & N.A. drinks will be available. We will label food for allergies. Limited parking available, but street parking legal. Ramp access to the space. Air filters running.

Again, these havdallah events will be held monthly on the 3rd Saturday, rotating locations so mark your calendars!

We host a monthly community sing at the Burlington Friends Meeting House on North Prospect St! Mark your calendars for first Wednesdays + spread the word.

This is for anyone who wants to be together and tend to our collective spirits. We will sing songs of grief, resistance, mourning, hope, protest, even joy.

We always share desserts — please bring a sweet treat or something to drink for the crew, or just bring yourself! If you have an instrument feel free to bring it. BYOB/ BYO-tea.

All are welcome. Bring your grandma & your roommate & your boo! Most songs will be in English and taught in the round.

Join us for a friendly havdallah hosted at Grace’s house! Email grace.oedel@gmail.com for the address and to RSVP.

We will welcome new folks, sing songs + niggunim (wordless melodies) from 5-6 pm, do havdallah, and enjoy a potluck feast, hopefully with more singing to follow.

Please bring a dish/ drinks to share!

Accessibility notes: Kids always welcome. We don’t have animals. Alcohol & N.A. drinks will be available. We will label food for allergies. No limit on attendees— if we get full + cozy, so be it!

Again, these havdallahs will be held monthly on the 3rd Saturday, rotating locations so mark your calendars!

Community, joy, song are always the answer. Let’s get after it!

So many of you showed up at our first song circle, that we’re making it a regular thing. Mark your calendars for first Wednesdays at 7 pm + spread the word! We meet at the Burlington Friends Meeting House.

This song circle is for anyone who wants to be together and tend to our collective spirits. We will sing songs of grief, resistance, mourning, hope, protest, even joy.

We’ll share desserts — please bring a sweet treat or something to drink for the crew, or just bring yourself! If you have an instrument feel free to bring it.

All are welcome. Bring your grandma & your roommate & your boo!

Most songs will be in English and taught in the round.

5 pm at the Highland Lodge in Greensboro!

This is a really beautiful event hosted by community partners. It’s a place to celebrate and share stories about those you have lost. We’ll also be having a L’Chaim Collective havdallah celebration as part of the evening.