What to Expect at . . .

What you need to know when attending Jewish events

Jewish life is an intricate tapestry of celebrations, rituals, milestones and worship. It may sometimes seem as if those born into it are dancing to the beat of an inaudible band, instinctively following a bewildering pattern that is as beautiful as it is mysterious.

Are you intimidated by the thought of stepping into a synagogue or nervous about saying the wrong thing at a Jewish wedding? Do you wish you could have a seasoned regular at your side, guiding you as you go? Then this is the place for you.

Join Chabad.org’s writers as they take you on a guided tour of Jewish life!

What to Expect at a Hachnasat Sefer Torah Parade A Hachnasat Sefer Torah is the celebration that centers around the dedication of new Torah scroll. By Menachem Posner		What to Expect at a Shabbat Dinner So, you have been invited to join a family for a Shabbat meal. What do you need to know? By Nechama Golding 30 Comments
What to Expect at Shabbat Morning Services The natives are friendly, so feel free to reach out if you have a question. Really. By Menachem Posner 23 Comments		What to Expect at a Havdalah Ceremony So you’ve been invited to a havdalah ceremony, and aren’t sure what to expect? Here’s what you need to know. By Menachem Posner 7 Comments
What to Expect at Rosh Hashanah Services Most of the natives are friendly and will be more than happy to help you out. By Menachem Posner 6 Comments		What to Expect at Yom Kippur Synagogue Services A friendly step-by-step guide to the synagogue services, starting with what to wear and where to sit, and ending with the shofar blast and the breakfast. By Menachem Posner 69 Comments
What to Expect at Simchat Torah Services Sure there are the Torahs and prayers, but there is also dancing, singing, capering, and snacking in the synagogue. By Menachem Posner 17 Comments		What to Expect at a Shabbat Kallah You've been invited to a Shabbat Kallah? Find out what to expect! By Nechama Golding 1 Comment
What to Expect at a Hanukkah Party Of all Jewish events, a Hanukkah holiday celebration is probably one of the most flexible, with the most room for creative improvisation, so there are very few hard, fast rules of what to do when. By Menachem Posner 14 Comments		What to Expect at a Public Menorah Lighting It’s Chanukah (sometimes spelled “Hanukkah” and pronounced HAH-new-kah), and you are planning on attending a public menorah lighting. Here’s what you need to know. By Menachem Posner 2 Comments
What to Expect at a Purim Party Of all Jewish holidays, this is the one when people let loose, dress up in silly costumes, and act in ways you’d never see them act during the rest of the year. By Menachem Posner 3 Comments		What to Expect at a Passover Seder So you’ve been invited to share a Seder—the ritual-rich evening that is the highlight of Passover, the Festival of Freedom—with an Orthodox family. Here are a few insider tips that will allow you to better allow you to enjoy the night ahead. By Nechama Golding 14 Comments
What to Expect at Tisha B'Av Synagogue Services There are special synagogue services unlike those held on any other day of the year. Here is what you need to know. By Menachem Posner 22 Comments		How to Convert to Judaism What to Expect at a Conversion I’m planning to convert to Judaism. This has been something I’ve been considering and mulling over for years, and I’ve made my decision. What should I expect? What will the process look like? By Menachem Posner and Yehuda Shurpin 394 Comments
What to Expect at a Brit Milah What is expected of you at a traditional brit milah, and what should you expect? By Nechama Golding 8 Comments		What to Expect at an Upsherin So, you have been invited to an upshernish. What exactly is an upshernish, and what do you need to know to attend? By Nechama Golding 12 Comments
What to Expect at a Bar Mitzvah The bar mitzvah ceremony celebrates a Jewish boy’s 13th birthday (on the Hebrew calendar) and his elevation to adult status in Judaism. By Menachem Posner 8 Comments		What to Expect at an Aufruf Your friend is getting married and you’ve been invited to an aufruf. Not sure what it is or what’s expected of you? You’ve come to the right place! By Menachem Posner 4 Comments
What to Expect at a Chassidic Wedding You’ve been invited to a chassidic wedding. Not sure what to expect? Let’s walk through the experience together. By Menachem Posner 2 Comments		What to Expect at a Sheva Brachot Someone you know is getting married, and you are invited to one of the Sheva Brachot celebrations in the days following the wedding. What do you need to know? By Nechama Golding 8 Comments
What to Expect at a Jewish Funeral Attending a funeral can be intimidating, whether this is your first time attending or you have been to many funerals. What do I do? What do I say? By Menachem Posner 40 Comments		What to Expect at a Jewish Unveiling Marking the grave of the deceased with a gravestone is an ancient Jewish custom that dates back to biblical times. By Menachem Posner 2 Comments
What to Expect at a Shiva Home For a week after a funeral, the close relatives of the deceased sit and mourn the loss of their relative. “Shiva” is Hebrew for “seven,” since this stage of mourning lasts for seven days. By Menachem Posner 11 Comments		What to Expect at a Farbrengen So, you’ve been invited to a farbrengen and aren’t sure what to expect. Well, you’re in good company—neither do most people. By Menachem Posner 7 Comments
What to Expect at a Sukkot Meal in a Sukkah So you’ve been invited to a Sukkot holiday meal. What can you expect? By Nechama Golding		What to Expect at the Ohel How to prepare, what to expect, and what to do once you are there. 48 Comments
What to Expect at a Mikvah In recent decades, mikvahs have become increasingly beautiful, offering a serene and enjoyable experience. By Nechama Golding 6 Comments

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2 Comments

Anonymous Missoula May 12, 2020

Thank you for bringing out knowledge and tradition in such a practical way. It is VERY HELPFUL for those of us who are teshuvah, who grew up in antisemitic environment (as Soviet Union), and could not experience it in real life. Reply

Aviv Weizmann Pembroke Ma January 5, 2018

I need to follow you more to obey HaShem Reply