The Sweetness of Community & Chagim

The Jewish High Holiday season is a special time for reflection, connection, and renewal. At PJA, experiencing this season in our school community brings these values to life.

During Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, students and teachers explored the meaning of teshuva—returning to the best version of ourselves. We heard the blasts of the shofar, enjoyed apples and honey, and thought about our goals for the year ahead.

Next came the joyous holidays of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. Students decorated the sukkah, shook the lulav and etrog, and shared meals under the schach (branches that make up the sukkah roof). Our annual Kehillah-sponsored Sukkah Hop enhanced the celebration beyond the school walls. At our Simchat Torah celebration, 8th graders had the honor of chanting the final words of the Torah and returning to the very beginning again.

Through these experiences, our students felt the joy of community, connected to the sacred, and saw how ancient traditions come to life in the modern world.

Now that the High Holiday season has passed, we carry its lessons of gratitude, renewal, and connection forward. The chagim (holidays) set a beautiful tone for the year—reminding us of the blessing of learning and growing together in a Jewish community that celebrates each season with joy and purpose.