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Important Information About the High Holidays
Important High Holiday Ticket Information
As we strive to provide a warm and welcoming space that is safe for all those coming to worship with us and upon the recommendation of the Cheltenham Police, we will require all those entering the building to have a ticket.
Tickets will be mailed to all congregants in good standing with COVID-19 vaccination cards showing booster on file with the office. Please email your card to: office@adathjeshurun.info. All congregants (all ages) must be vaccinated and boosted to participate in services upstairs in the Sanctuary and attend events inside the building.
Masks in the AJ building are optional. If COVID-19 levels are elevated at the time of services, a well-fitting N95 mask may be made mandatory. (If masking does become mandatory, masks will not be required for those on the bimah or in the choir.)
High Holidays 2022/5783 Service Schedule
Selihot
Saturday, September 17
Minhah-Ma’ariv 6:50 PM
Program 8:00 PM
Hush of Midnight Selihot Service 9:30 PM
Rosh Hashanah
Sunday, September 25
Evening Service 6:00 PM
Monday, September 26
Day I, Morning Service 9:00 AM
Early Childhood Service: 10:30 AM
Teen Service (at AJ) 11:00 AM
Tashlich, Minhah, Ma’ariv 5:30 PM
Tuesday, September 27
Sunrise Hike with Rav Shai 6:45 AM
Day II, Morning Service 9:00 AM
Ceremony of Blessing for Children
Born Since Last Rosh Hashanah 10:00 AM
Minhah-Ma’ariv 6:45 PM (in person and via Zoom)
Yom Kippur
Tuesday, October 4
Kol Nidre Service 6:00 PM
continued next column
Yom Kippur (continued)
Wednesday, October 5
Yom Kippur Morning Service 9:00 AM
Family Service 9:30 AM
Teen Service (at Beth Sholom) 11:00 AM
Yizkor Approx. 12:15 PM
Aliyah for Those Traveling to Israel and for AJ Families Living in Israel 3:35 PM*
Aliyah for Newly Engaged Couples 3:35 PM*
Concluding Shofar Blasts 7:00 PM
Fast Ends and Havdalah Begins 7:12 PM
Service End 7:20 PM
Break the Fast 7:30 PM
*Please be in the synagogue no later that 2:30 PM.
Sukkot
Sunday, October 9
Evening Service 6:00 PM
Monday, October 10
Morning Service 9:30 AM
Evening Service 6:30 PM
Shemini Atzeret/Simhat Torah
Sunday, October 16
Minhah-Ma'ariv 6:00 PM
Family Hakafot 6:45 PM
Monday, October 17
Morning Service, Including Yizkor 9:00 AM
Simhat Torah Honorees: Mitch and Amy Russell
High Holidays Childcare
During High Holiday services in 2022, AJ will be offering:
- Childcare for children from 6 months through 4 years of age; and
- Age-appropriate High Holiday services/programming for children 5 through 12 years of age.
Childcare will be available from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Rosh Hashanah, Day I (Monday, September 26), Rosh Hashanah, Day II (Tuesday, September 27), and Yom Kippur (Wednesday, October 5).
Please register for childcare here. We MUST have your preregistration by Friday, September 16 by 3:00 PM.
Special Activities and Reminders
Please register for High Holiday events if you plan to attend in person. Click here. Thank you!
SELIHOT:
A Unique Discussion of Forgiveness and Repentance,
followed by The Hush of Midnight
Selihot Progam
There’s a caricature of Catholicism that, since no one can merit salvation as a result of the stain of Original Sin, there’s nothing to do but rely on God’s abounding mercy. Like most caricatures, what’s true about that is surrounded by layers and layers of fascinating nuance.
For our Selihot program this year, we are blessed to invite our neighbor, author, and longtime college campus minister Christine Marie Eberle. Through vignettes, texts, and dialogue, Ms. Eberle and Rav Shai will probe the processes of forgiveness and repentance from their respective traditions and perspectives.
Selihot Service
As we announced in the July/August AJ News, our Selihot service this year will be The Hush of Midnight. Many of you may be very familiar with this world-renowned work: a cantata of Ruth Brin poetry and traditional Selihot liturgy composed and arranged by our own Hazzan emeritus, Charles S. Davidson. People who hear it for the first time are swept into the emotional poetry and pleasing rhythms. This choice for Selihot, written by Hazzan Davidson in 1986, has withstood the test of time.
The Hebrew word selihot refers to the collective penitential liturgy, the daily recitation of which commences prior to Rosh Hashanah and continues through Yom Kippur. Designed to set the mood within us for the impending High Holy Days, the focus of the Hebrew liturgy is repentance and renewal. The poetry of 20th-century poet Ruth Brin (1921–2009) is matched in such a way that it allows and encourages us to imagine being “in darkening shade“ “on city streets” and “wood and meadows.” In the execution of the service the words and music stir us and “take us to far countries of pretended peace.”
This program was made possible through the generosity of Ann Kalmanor in honor of her 80th birthday.
Please use the High Holiday Form to RSVP. We welcome the community to attend.
Sunrise Hike with Rav Shai
On Tuesday, September 22, (the second day of Rosh Hashanah) join Rav Shai on a sunrise hike! The Nature Walk will begin at 6:45 AM at Raytharn Farm. We will meet in the parking lot at the corner of Creek Road and Terwood Road. The trail is along rolling hills with uneven surfaces. The walk consists of fewer than 5,800 of Rav Shai’s steps and will take no longer than 90 minutes. Please use the High Holiday Form to RSVP.
Annual Memorial Cemetery Service
On Sunday, October 2, Rav Shai will officiate at this service at the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery at 1855 Bridge Street near Walker Street in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. Join us at 10:00 AM as we remember Jews of past generations buried in this historical cemetery. In person only. No RSVP necessary.
Break the Fast
Break your fast with us on Yom Kippur 0n Wednesday, October 5 at approximately 7:30 PM. We'll have all of your favorite Break the Fast fare including lox, whitefish, herring, kippered salmon, egg salad, bagels and cream cheese. kugel, cheese, lettuce and tomato, fruit, assorted cakes, and beverages. The cost is $10 for adults, with a $30 family maximum.***RSVP as soon as possible so that we can plan.*** We need at least 30 people to attend to hold this event. Payment must be received by noon on Monday, September 19. Call the synagogue office at 215.635.6611, Please use the High Holiday Form to RSVP. You must be pre-registered to attend.
Annual Sukkah Decorating Pizza Party
On Sunday, October 9, the entire congregation is invited to join us as we prepare for Sukkot together. We’ll congregate in the sukkah and eat, schmooze and hang decorations. Bring the kids and any decorations that you’d like to contribute (original artwork encouraged). The fun begins at 12:30 PM and runs until 2:30 PM. Please use the High Holiday Form to RSVP. Proudly sponsored by the AJWA Sisterhood.
Sukkot Dinners
Once again, we’ll be celebrating Sukkot by gathering inside AJ’s sukkah! Each evening of Sukkot, we’ll be celebrating by having dinner in the AJ sukkah. See the offerings for each night below. Registration for each night is required, except where noted. To RSVP, use the High Holiday Form or look for the link in the weekly email. Please RSVP no later than September 30.
Monday, October 10, at 6:00 PM, followed by the evening service: Sandwiches in the Sukkah. We’ll have chicken and veggie sandwiches in the sukkah. (No charge.)
Tuesday, October 11, at 6:00 PM, followed by the evening service: Sustainable Dinner in the Sukkah. Enjoy a plant-based dinner focused on local and organic ingredients. Sponsored by L’olam. (No charge.)
Wednesday, October 12, at 6:00 PM, followed by the evening service: Baked Ziti in the Sukkah. Enjoy baked ziti and dessert in the sukkah, followed by the evening service. A gluten-free baked ziti will be available. You must register to attend. Sponsored by the AJ Men’s Association and AJWA Sisterhood. (No charge.)
Thursday, October 13, at 5:30 PM, followed by the evening service: The AJ Early Learning Center families will enjoy Pizza in the Hut. (Dinner for preschool families only.) All congregants are welcome to join us for soft-serve ice cream in the sukkah at 6:30 PM, before the evening service. (No registration for non-ELC congregants needed.)
Friday, October 14, 6:15 PM, Kabbalat Shabbat with Strings Attached followed by a Shabbat Dinner in the Sukkah. Hazzan Glantz will be leading Kabbalat Shabbat with Strings Attached to welcome Shabbat with music. The service will be followed by a Shabbat dinner in the sukkah. (No charge.)
Family Hakafot
Join us on Sunday, October 16 at 6:00 PM for Minhah-Ma‘ariv and Family Hakafot followed by a Simhat Torah celebration! Bring your family and friends to help celebrate Simhat Torah with the AJ community. There will be food and drink, candy apples, dancing, and singing! Please use the High Holiday Form to RSVP.
High Holiday Grocery Gift Card Drive
What’s Different This Year
The continuation of providing food access for vulnerable people is critical. However, due to the challenges presented by COVID-19, we are modifying our annual High Holiday Food Drive: instead of bringing food items to the synagogue, please support the Mitzvah Food Program pantries through our Grocery Gift Card Drive.
From September 26 through October 17:
You can purchase grocery store gift cards to be distributed directly to clients of the Mitzvah Food Program so they can purchase items they need from their local grocery store. We recommend gift cards from ShopRite, Acme, and Giant, as these are the stores most easily accessible to our clients. Gift card values up to $50 are the most helpful. Give any purchased cards to Amy Devine-Stretch or, if the office is closed, put it into the lock box next to the general office door.
Or…You can purchase food through the Mitzvah Food Program Amazon Wish List (https://tiny.cc/MFPOYR) so that products are shipped directly to a pantry.
Israel Bonds
Please consider supporting the Israel Bonds program (www.israelbonds.com). Development Corporation for Israel/Israel Bonds ranks among Israel’s most valued economic and strategic resources, with a record of proven success spanning 70 years. Praised for its dependability, the Bonds organization has helped build every sector of Israel’s economy. In 2020, despite challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, the Bonds organization secured historic U.S. sales of $1.5 billion.
Partnering in Israel’s success story through investment in Israel bonds is global in scope. Worldwide sales have exceeded $46 billion since the first bonds were issued in 1951. Proceeds from the sale of Israel bonds have played a decisive role in Israel’s rapid evolution into a ground-breaking, global leader in high-tech, greentech, and biotech. Member FINRA
MAZON
For 35 years, MAZON has been fighting for systemic change so that no one in the U.S. or Israel struggles with hunger. They use policy solutions, partnership grants, community engagement, and a quick reaction fund to transform how it is into how it should be. You can contribute to MAZON here.
