The High Holidays begin this Friday evening, September 11, 2026  / 1 Tishrei 5787.

They are central to our Jewish living, not because they mark an historic event, but because they embody an essential Jewish process: intense personal and communal introspection held in play with boundless hope that our behavior will make a difference.

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur invite us to face our fears and our challenges, and – in doing so – to support and uplift one another. They are at once intellectually rigorous and spiritually moving.

In these difficult and painful times with so much division in our community and our country, we need to share in our Jewish journeys.

With whatever you can comfortably afford, you are a member.

That’s why we invite you to belong–to be a full member of the community which includes High Holiday tickets for you and your family. Simply contact the Aitz Hayim office with a phone call: 847-835-3232 or an email: aitzhayim@gmail.com

Not only will we all experience the New Year with each other in person or on Zoom, we will be together all year when it often feels so isolating.

Every Shabbat reminds us that we are a community that honors people who come from different places, and that we cultivate a climate of openness. In these polarized times, let’s use the High Holidays as an opportunity to celebrate that posture of openness and eagerness to embrace one another.