Jewish Activity Guide and Holidays for Summer

Find fun activity ideas for your Jewish assisted living residents for the upcoming Jewish holidays this summer, like Tu B’Av and Rosh Hashanah.

Summer Jewish Holidays:

Tu B’Av

Tu B’Av is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar that is celebrated as a holiday of love, much like Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, it marked the beginning of the grape harvest; however, in modern times, it is thought of as a romantic holiday, with a focus on singing, dancing, and the giving of flowers. This year Tu B’Av begins at sundown on Tuesday, August 1 and lasts until sundown on Wednesday, August 2.

Activity Ideas

1. Host a Champagne and Chocolates Happy Hour for the couples in your facility.
2. Invite residents to pick flowers from your garden to make corsages and boutonnieres to wear for the day.
3. Organize a Romantic Movie Marathon in your Activity Room, featuring romantic comedies like the 1940 film His Girl Friday, with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, and the 1934 film It Happened One Night, with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Customs of Rosh Hashanah include the lighting of candles, the sounding of a Shofar (ram’s horn), and the eating of sweet treats like apples and honey. This year Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, September 15 and lasts until sundown on Sunday, September 17.

Activity Ideas

1. Go apple picking.
2. Create New Year’s Cards that residents can share with family.
3. Contact your local synagogue & have them come in to blow a Shofar (ram’s horn).
4. Live-stream Rosh Hashanah services from a synagogue.

Contributed by Jonathan D. Siegel, MSW