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HIGH HOLIDAYS 5781

Register for Our Zoom High Holiday Experience

It goes without saying that 5781 will begin differently from any other year. Rather than pretend that our extraordinary world will not impact services on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we are working to create a different and appropriate Zoom experience this year.

We will have a number of themed interactive experiences of manageable length over Zoom drawing on traditional liturgy, creative music and dynamic conversation to engage us in the themes of the holidays.

Erev Rosh Hashana—We will have a dinner seder of first fruits reflecting on the resources and tools we have for new ways of looking at the new year.

Each morning of Rosh Hashana we will have three sessions: the morning segment, the Torah reading and Shofar blowing, (on the second day only), and Musaf.

On the first day, Shabbat, the morning session will focus on recreating ourselves in today’s circumstances. The Torah reading on Shabbat Rosh Hashanah will consider when our eyes are open anew. What realizations emerge when we become aware that we did not pay attention to what was present?

The Musaf theme with the Unetaneh Tokef will guide us in celebrating life in the face of concerns about death.

On the second day, Sunday, in the morning session, we will consider when memory fails us—the difference between memory and nostalgia. The Torah reading will be about shifting perspectives at the top of the mountain—how the intense feelings shift our viewpoint. And Musaf will reveal the themes of sounding the alarm about who we think we are and who we want to be.

Each of these experiences will be led by Rabbi Elan Babchuck with Cantors David Landau and Judith Golden and the music of Howard Levy, Kalyan Pathak and Larry Grey. From the fullness of our liturgy, they are choosing selections that illustrate these important and challenging concerns.

On Sunday afternoon, you are invited to participate in a guided imagery as you walk to the water that will substitute for our communal Tashlich.

We hope that this introduction to our plan will engage you in preparing for using our evolving Jewish way of looking ahead. We’ll be sending out more details and the time schedule for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Please send in your request for admittance to our Zoom High Holiday Experience. It is particularly important to let us know that you will be joining us this year. Providing the proper credentials to those who have registered beforehand is the easy part and allowing access after entry into the Zoom waiting room. What will be challenging for us is identifying the names of those who have not. That is why it is important let us know ahead of time who you would like to include to our High Holiday Zoom Experiences this year.

Watch this 11 minute clip from Erev Rosh Hashana  of our High Holiday Experience from this year including Rabbi Babchuck’s explanation why this is an experience and not a service.

Looking forward to a better 5781.  May you, your family and all humanity be sustained.

AL CHAIT 5781

Anonymous Al Chait form for 5781

RABBI ELAN BABCHUCK

Get to know our High Holiday Rabbi

ONLINE SHABBAT SERVICES

Join us for online Shabbat services every Saturday morning.