TI’s World Famous Chanukah Party
Sun Dec 18 | 11a
$15 per adult/ $10 per child
The entire TI family will gather to celebrate Chanukah with candle lighting, festive songs, delicious food trucks, glow-in-the-dark silent disco, a fire throwing show, PJ Library Book Reading, a latke demonstration by Lauren Braun Costello, and of course our famous Brisket Throwdown.
Brisket Throwdown
Sun Dec 18 | 11a
Think you make the best brisket in town? We challenge you to enter TI’s famous Brisket Throwdown, held during our congregation-wide Chanukah Party. Three coveted prizes will be awarded: Professional Judges’ Choice, Clergy & Staff Choice and People’s Choice.
Women’s Group @ TI: Latkes and Vodkas
Tue Dec 13 | 7p
$35 per person
Dress in festive attire (ugly Chanukah sweaters welcome!) and learn how to craft vodka cocktails while enjoying delicious latkes and our amazing company.
Men’s Group @ TI: Maccabee Axe Throwing
Wed Dec 14 | 7p
$35 per person
Channel your inner Maccabee hero at Blue Ox Axe Throwing in Bridgeport. Drinks, nosh and of course axes provided.
Young Family Chanukah Shabbat
Fri Dec 16 | 5p
Dinner: $15 per adult/ $10 per child
Light up the night! Bring your family’s favorite menorah. Dress in your sparkly Chanukah outfits. Stay for a family Chanukah dinner immediately following the service.
Congregational Chanukah Shabbat
Fri Dec 16 | 6:30p
Dinner: $25 per adult/$18 per child
Bring your festive Chanukah joy — and your favorite menorah — to our sanctuary for Shabbat. Stay for a congregational Chanukah dinner immediately following the service.
Holiday Gifts for Kids
TI will also help stock the shelves for the Holiday Store at Ralphola Taylor Community Center, a YMCA in Bridgeport that serves about 100 low-income children. At the Holiday Store, children use points they’ve earned in the program to “buy” presents for their families. Please drop off in a gift or two valued at up to $20 each. You can also order the gifts on Amazon and have them shipped to Temple Israel (14 Coleytown Rd, Westport). Gifts must be received at TI by Dec 16 @ 9 am.
Use Amazon Smile here and TI will benefit from each purchase at no added cost to you.
Boxes collecting the new and unwrapped presents for the gift drive will be at both entrances to TI. All gifts must be dropped off from Dec 2-16.
Breakfast Cereal Drive
TI members Aaron & Brett Fortunoff have teamed up with the nonprofit Cereal4all to host a breakfast cereal drive with the goal of ensuring that no child goes to school hungry. Drop your breakfast cereal donations at TI Dec 2-16.
Chanukah Digital Candle Lighting
Mon Dec 19 | 7p
Zoom
Our clergy will lead us in lighting the second night of Chanukah candles on Zoom. Refresh your memory of all the Chanukah blessings at tiwestport.org/chanukahblessings
Westport Town Lighting
Wed Dec 21 | 5:30p
Downtown Westport, corner of Main St & Post Rd
The entire Jewish community will gather to light a giant Chanukiah in the center of downtown Westport.
Chanukah Lunch and Learn
Wed Dec 21 | 12p
Conference Room
Rabbi Nemitoff-Bresler will offer insight on the Festival of Lights. BYO lunch.
Give a Night of Chanukah
Thu Dec 22
Some families have the tradition of giving presents each night of Chanukah. This year we encourage you to Give a Night of Chanukah, directing the amount you would ordinarily spend on one night of gifts to tzedakah instead. Click here for more information about how you can celebrate this night and an added blessing to recite when lighting your chanukiah.
We would love for you to capture your family celebrating this night. Please post a picture to our FB page or on IG and use the #TICHANUKAH.
Below you’ll find some tzedakah options that are important to our congregation. Of course, you can also feel free to choose a charity that is important to you.
CONECT Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut is Temple Israel’s interfaith social justice network. We build relationships across the religious, racial and socio-economic spectrum to make an impact on issues of shared importance, such as gun violence, healthcare, immigrants’ rights, and criminal justice reform.
Homes With Hope HWH provides emergency shelter, supportive housing and food assistance to all in need in the Westport community. TI provides weekly meals at Gillespie Center downtown, semi-annual food drives for the HWH food pantry, and support throughout the year.
Annual Fund for Temple Israel Help us maintain our ironclad commitment to welcome everyone who wants to be part of our congregation regardless of financial capacity. Moreover, your contribution enables us to dream, experiment, innovate and thrive.