SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | Holidays
High Holy Days 5785/2024
All our paths lead to shalom
Our aspiration of shalom is one of wholeness for each individual, our community, and our world. The High Holy Day season is a time of reflection, renewal, and recommitment. In this year in particular, when wholeness has felt out of reach, we explore what it means to come together to find grounding in our faith and support in our community. As we begin 5785, we open ourselves up to the many ways we might pursue our pathways to shalom.
A few things to know for this year:
- High Holy Days registration is now open. Registration this year will be conducted entirely through your member portal.
- If you make your reservation by Monday, September 23 at 11:59 pm, your tickets will be mailed to you. If you reserve after September 23, you will need to pick up your tickets at the temple before Tuesday, October 1.
- 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.
- Throughout the High Holy Days, you will see imagery of a red anemone flower. In Hebrew, these are called kalaniyot (singular, kalanit). They are a common symbol seen on Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and they have taken on a special significance since October 7th.
- Please contact Stephen Ashkinos at support@tbewellesley.org or 781.997.4205 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.
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.
Contribute to the Book of Remembrance here. Submissions are due September 20.
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.
Contribute to the Hunger Drive here. The last day to contribute to the drive is Friday, October 25, 2024 (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 support@tbewellesley.org and we will get back to you right away!
Contact
Reservations
If you have questions or need assistance making reservations, please contact Stephen Ashkinos: support@tbewellesley.org 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.
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.