High Holidays

Dear Temple Beth-El Family, Friends and Guests,

With the New Year 5781 drawing close, we would like to share with you more detailed information about our High Holiday programming, as well as a revised schedule of activities (attached).

First, as was pointed out, our programming this season will be divided between two “channels”.  The first (“Channel A”) is a non-interactive programming stream that will include our formal davening (worship services) and youth programming, as well as select artistic and cultural offerings.  

The second channel (“Channel B”), which will run in parallel, will comprise less traditional offerings, including discussion groups, musical and artistic content, spirituality workshops, etc.  This “space” is also available for congregants to drop in and “visit” with family and friends when no scheduled programming is running.  We hope that you will avail yourselves of it!

With respect to our Rosh Hashanah service schedule, you should be aware that while the liturgy for the First Day of Rosh Hashanah will be an abbreviated version of the traditional liturgy for all services (with some re-sequencing of the Torah service for logistical reasons), the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah will feature an Interpretive Musaf service composed primarily of more contemporary readings.  We hope you will enjoy the distinct avenue of access to the holiday and its themes that this offers.

On Yom Kippur there will be another departure from the schedule to which TBE members have become accustomed.  The additional services – Seder HaAvodah (a recounting of the ancient Temple rites), Eileh Ezkara (the martyrology), and Yizkor (the memorial service) – have all been moved to the afternoon/evening block because of scheduling considerations.  This means that those wishing to participate in the Yizkor service will need to join us at 6 p.m. on Mon, Sept 28.

Finally, the “honors” for this year’s High Holiday services will look different than in previous years.  We will obviously have no “ark openings” and many fewer English readings (because of time constraints).  Instead, we have also asked a handful of our larger families to be present in the sanctuary while the Torah is being read (to comprise an in-person minyan), while other congregants will read the aliyot and say the prayers from home.  

We apologize in advance if you and your family are not among those we could accommodate in this abbreviated list of honorees.  We have done our best to be inclusive and hope by next year to return to our cherished practice of incorporating every TBE household in our holiday rites.

With wishes for a bright, sweet, healthy New Year for all – L’shanah tovah tikateivu v’tikateimu, 

 -- Rabbi Rachel Safman and Members of the Ritual Committee