|
|
 |
|
|
| Home | About Us | Schedule of Services | Events Calendar | News | Education | Auxiliaries | Judaica Shop | E-Newsletter |
High Holy Day InformationDescription of Services and Observances We are pleased to offer a variety of services throughout the High Holy Days to meet the needs of all of our congregants. Below is a brief summary of each of the services.
This is our most comprehensive service for those who prefer a traditional format. It takes place in the main sanctuary and always draws a large crowd. Rabbi Emeritus, Gordon Freeman, and Hazzan Dinkin will lead traditional services on Erev Rosh Hashanah, first and second days of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidrei, and Yom Kippur. Attendees at the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services will be treated to the inspiring voices of the Congregation B’nai Shalom Adult Choir. Following the Traditional Service on Erev Rosh Hashanah we will gather together for an oneg in the main courtyard. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we will again gather in the main courtyard immediately following the service for apples and honey.
For those who prefer a briefer, more interactive service, we offer the Contemporary Service. This
alternative service is engaging and inspirational. It will be held on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on
Yom Kippur in the Unitarian Sanctuary. Rabbi Jennifer Flam, Director of Congregational Learning, will
lead the service.
Families with young children often appreciate attending a brief service with content geared towards the
children. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur, we offer a 45-minute Family Service,
which is similar to a Tot Shabbat. Following the Family Service many families take their children to
childcare or youth programming, depending on the child’s age, and then attend either the Traditional or
Contemporary Service themselves. This year the Family Service will be led by Rabbi Jennifer Flam in the
Congregation B’nai Shalom Social Hall.
Youth Services and Programs (for ALL youth between K - 5th Grade) Children and youth are a very important part of our B’nai Shalom family. The High Holy Days Youth Services and Programs are an integral part of the Congregation B’nai Shalom youth curriculum and offer age appropriate holiday learning experiences. The High Holy Day Youth Program and Service is encouraged for all children between Kindergarten and 5th Grade. Students from our kindergarten through the 4th grade are required to participate on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur morning in the Youth Program and Family Service. Students entering the 5th grade may choose whether they want to participate in the Youth Program or participate in the adult service. Students in 6th or 7th grade (and older) in the fall are encouraged to attend the adult services. In order to ensure that we provide meaningful and joyous High Holy Days services and programming for our youth we ask that you complete the Youth Program Reservation Form and return it to the office along with any other relevant forms. Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision of their children unless the child is checked into and attending a youth program or is in childcare.
Additional Services and Observances
Selichot "The Lord! The Lord! A God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, rich in steadfast kindness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does not remit all punishment..." Exodus 34:6-7
Kever Avot (“grave of the ancestors”) is the custom of visiting the graveside of parents or close relatives and praying there. The theme of the prayers is peaceful eternal rest for the departed and an invocation for God's aid to the living on the basis of the pious deeds of the dead performed in their lifetime. Hazzan Dinkin will lead the service at Oakmont Memorial Park Cemetery on Sunday, October 2nd at 11:00 AM.
Kol Nidrei (“all vows”) is a dramatic evening service that ushers in Yom Kippur. All the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark, and the Hazzan chants the moving and memorable prayers. Kol Nidrei is actually a legal formula that declares all religious vows in the coming year as null and void. Rabbi Emeritus Gordon Freeman and Hazzan Dinkin will lead this service. They will be accompanied by our adult choir.
Yom Kippur Discussions - Reaching Towards Holiness: The Gates of Awe Traditionally the Days of Awe are characterized by intense introspection. We use our age-old tradition to
look within ourselves and our community to take an accounting of the year that has gone by as we prepare
for the possibilities of the year to come. As the sun moves lower in the sky this Yom Kippur afternoon,
join me as we begin exploring together some of the ways our tradition teaches us to remain our authentic
selves throughout the year.
Yizkor
Sukkot
Sukkot culminates in the festive celebration of concluding the reading of the Torah. At Simchat Torah services, we dance with the Torah scrolls, giving everybody a chance to hold the Torah and to be called for an aliyah. In addition, we unroll the Torah from beginning to end around the sanctuary for all to see. Simchat Torah services will take place on Thursday, October 20th, at 7:00 PM, and Friday, October 21st, at 9:30 AM. This is an experience you won’t want to miss! |
|
|
