Temple Emanu-El Religious School celebrates Rosh Hashanah

By Ian Swaby
| 12:00 p.m. September 22, 2025

Sarasota
Neighbors

Although the Temple Emanu-El Religious School began hosting its celebration of Rosh Hashanah outdoors during the pandemic, the practice has still continued.

On Sept. 21, the students, many of them accompanied by family members, headed to Phillippi Estate Park to celebrate the holiday, which marks the start of the Jewish New Year.

"We love being here, like it's such a nice place, and so it calls us to to experience the world and the beauty," said Rabbi Michael Shefrin. "And as Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world as we understand it, it's nice to celebrate the birthday of the world, not inside a building."

The event featured four activity stations, including a demonstration of beekeeping by local beekeeper Lauren Hofing. Students also had the chance to enjoy the traditional dish of apples and honey.

The morning concluded with students placing notes they had created on biodegradable paper into the water nearby, to cast away their troubles from the past year, in the format of a Tashlich ceremony.

Shefrin noted, "This is about creating a space, not just with our kids, but with some of the families who come and hang out, and for our teachers to get them outside, to appreciate the nature, the beautiful sights here in Philippi, and to really just take a deep breath as we prepare for the New Year to enter on Monday night."

Religious School Director Snait Ben-Herut summons students with a tambourine.

Noah Greber, 10, looks on as Laura Bishop reads a book.

Eden Roy, 5, and her aunt Lindi Dierna, look at one of the frames from Lauren Hofing's beehive equipment.

Melissa Allen and her son Asher Allen, 7, participate in the opening music together.

Ben Bishop, 6, discovers a sign placed by the temple, as a group walks the trail in the park.

Kindergarten and first grade teacher Hunter Behrenfeld watches as Hannah Polichuk, 6, reads one of the signs placed along the trail for the event.

Beekeeper Lauren Hofing showcases the equpment she uses to keep bees.

Blake Brown, 13, rubs beeswax onto a frame.

Charlie Greber, 6, holds a frame from the beehive as he listens to beekeeper Lauren Hofing speak.

Jazmin Lesnick and her daughter Addie Lesnick, 4, write

Sasha Leopold, 11, tries on beekeeping gear.

Rylan Albright, 7, rubs beeswax onto a frame.

Daniel Polichuk, 10, blows the shofar as Sasha Leopold, 11, looks on.

Jackson Kalley, 6, listens to instructions about creating the notes for the Tashlich ceremony.

Juliana Jacobs, 6, places a note into the water during a Tashlich ceremony.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.