SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | Holidays
High Holy Days 5784/2023
All our paths lead to shalom
Our aspiration of shalom is one of wholeness for each individual, our community, and our world. During the High Holy Day season, a time of reflection, renewal, and recommitment, we explore what it means to be on our pathways to shalom. How can we come together to build meaningful lives? As we begin 5784, we open ourselves up to the many ways we might pursue our pathways to shalom.
Registration for the High Holy Days closed on August 23, 2023. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions.
Preparing for the High Holy Days
Open up to the High Holy Day season this Elul. Remember a loved one in our Book of Remembrance, contribute to our Hunger Drive, and more.
Services Schedules
Create a High Holy Day experience that will be most meaningful for you. Find services schedules organized by holiday or cohort, in person or online.
Resources
Music playlists, at-home rituals, recipes, and more to enhance your High Holy Day celebrations.
In-Person Services
Reservations closed on August 23. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions.
Online Services
All TBE members will automatically receive Zoom links for all online services! In the week leading up to Rosh Hashanah and to Yom Kippur, we will email you all the links for that holiday.
Guests
In Person
Members are welcome to bring guests to all services and programs. Members can register guests in the same form when they make their own reservations for in-person services. A guest is a friend or extended family member who is not a TBE member. If you’re a TBE family with adult children (older than grade 12), you’re welcome to count them as TBE member adults, not guests!
If pricing is a barrier, please reach out to Stephen Ashkinos at [email protected] for guest reservations.
Questions?
Reservations
If you have questions or need assistance making reservations, please contact Stephen Ashkinos: [email protected] or 781.997.4205.
Remember a Loved One
The TBE Book of Remembrance, distributed on Yom Kippur, offers a meaningful way to honor the memory of loved ones while supporting our community. Click here to review last year’s Book of Remembrance to see your entry and the format of the book for a new entry.
The last day to contribute to the Book of Remembrance is September 10. Please contact Gloria Kuris, Development Associate, with questions.
High Holy Day Hunger Drive
Contribute to organizations that address the urgent need for food in our community, locally, nationally, and internationally. Organizations include Family Table, Family Promise Metrowest, Community Servings, Yad Chessed, Mazon, Leket Israel, and the Rabbi Discretionary Fund, an internal fund at TBE used to help members of our community. The last day to contribute to the drive will be Tuesday, October 7 (Simchat Torah).
Repair the World
The High Holy Days are a perfect time to commit to joining the TBE community in service to others, learning, and social justice. Learn more.
Family Table
Family Table is the largest kosher food pantry in New England. Each month we are responsible for supplying cans of salmon and boxes of whole-grain cereal for families in need. If you’re coming to TBE for an in-person event, we invite you to bring cans of salmon or boxes of cereal, which you can place in our outdoor collection bin.
Learn more about our Family Table initiative.
Volunteer
Perform a mitzvah for the High Holy Days. Volunteer to serve as a greeter at one of our services. Welcome fellow congregants and assist in maintaining a sacred atmosphere for this important time in our calendar.
You can sign up as a volunteer when you register for services.
Questions? Contact
Susan Karon
Prayer Books
We recommend that online participants borrow or purchase a machzor (prayer book) to aid in your participation during services, as the prayers will not be projected onscreen. Mishkan HaNefesh, the Reform Movement’s machzor, offers inspiring poetry and essays that enhance the High Holy Day experience. You can order print versions of Mishkan HaNefesh in standard print or large print through the CCAR Press website.
TBE Traditions
Wearing a tallit on Rosh Hashanah morning, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur signifies the sincerity of our repentance and can help elevate our spiritual attentiveness. Please bring your own tallit, if you have one; a limited number are available to borrow at TBE.
For Yom Kippur, we encourage you to dress in white, symbolizing a fresh start to the new year. Fabric (non-leather) shoes or sneakers are also encouraged; tradition teaches that eschewing the luxury of leather reminds us of our equal standing before God and each other.
Abstaining from food and drink is a traditional practice for Yom Kippur as a means of focusing on the needs of the soul over the needs of the body. However, if it is physically or mentally unhealthy for you to fast, it is a mitzvah to give your body the nourishment it needs.
Technology Assistance
On the High Holy Days
If you need help with technology during High Holy Day services and programs, please send an email to [email protected] and we will get back to you right away!
Contact
Reservations
If you have questions or need assistance making reservations, please contact Stephen Ashkinos: [email protected] or 781.997.4205.
Membership
Interested in joining the TBE community? Please reach out to Susan Karon, 781.997.4243.
Find renewal this Elul as you prepare for the High Holy Days, a season where we prepare our souls for transformation. ReneWELL Elul Series is made possible by The Well at TBE, which integrates Jewish spiritual practices and modern mindfulness tools and techniques to provide a source of wellbeing through learning, practice, prayer, and support for individuals on their own and in community.
TBE Youth & Family
Join us for services for families with children ages 0–5, in grades K–7, and for teens.
View more services for TBE youth & families
High Holy Day Rituals & Traditions
Whether you’re joining us at TBE or from home, these guides will enhance your High Holy Day experience.
TBE Music & More
High Holy Day stories and songs for all ages from our TBE leadership.