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Join Us for the High Holidays 2023/5784

Join us for the High Holidays!

This page contains all you need to know about our High Holidays 5784 programming for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  We will add the link here to our Sukkot and Simchat Torah programming soon.

Our usual Covid protocols are in place for our High Holiday services this year.  According to our Jewish value of Pikuach Nefesh (safeguarding human life) and our Covid policy, anyone over the age of 5 must be vaccinated (with updated boosters strongly recommended) to enter Congregation Beth Elohim.  We are encouraging but not requiring the use of face masks at this time. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home to help keep our community safe and join us via Zoom.

Schedule & Online Links to Prayer Books & Other Downloads

On computers, our schedule is to the right.  On mobile devices, you will find the schedule on the bottom of the page.    

The links to prayer books, readings, and the High Holidays Supplement for this year can be found just before the schedule.

Let's get you to the right section of our busy page!  Click on the topic(s) of interest!

Questions? Email Leslie Knight, programming@bethelohim.org or contact our synagogue administrator, cbeacton@bethelohim.org or 978-263-3061.

Congregation Beth Elohim is committed to providing a welcoming community for all who want to observe and celebrate the high holidays and will not turn away anyone due to financial hardship. For inquiries about special arrangements please contact our Synagogue Administrator at cbeacton@bethelohim.org.
 

High Holiday Message: Kehillah Achat: We Are One CBE

From Rabbi David and Cantor Sarra

Read the full message here...

L’Shanah Tovah! 
 Our theme this year is Kehillah Achat – One Community. We come from diverse backgrounds and represent the span of generations – and we all have a home, a purpose, and an extended family at CBE. We choose to come together for different spiritual, educational and social opportunities. Some of us are primarily involved in our wonderful religious school or preschool. Others find meaning in our Shabbat services, social action, brotherhood, or sisterhood activities. No matter what brings you to CBE, we are all connected and an important part of one family, one kehillah, one community. 
 
This fall, we are back to a new normal as we welcome more of you back to our in-person services and activities. We hope that everyone will find hope, joy, and inspiration in our holiday services and celebrations. 

Read the full message here...

Adult Services:  Both In-Person and Streaming via ZOOM

We are excited to welcome congregants and non-congregants to observe the High Holidays with the CBE community. L’shanah tovah u’metukah, our best wishes for a good and sweet and healthy year!

To accommodate all, we are offering both in-person and streaming via ZOOM for our adult High Holiday services.  

  • Adult services on Rosh Hashanah Day 1 and Yom Kippur are recommended for adults and children in grade 7 and above.
  • Rosh Hashanah Day 2, you may bring your children in grades 4 and above as, on that day, we will have children's services and programming only through grade 3

To enter CBE for our adult in-person services:

  • For those attending in person services, you will receive a ticket email (your e-ticket), you should be prepared to show your ticket email at the door. You can choose to show tickets on your cell phone or you may print the email and bring that with you. Please be sure to turn off your cell phone after entering the building.
  • The ticket email will also include the ZOOM link and password for ZOOM services in the event that you will attend all or some services via ZOOM.
  • For security purposes, we ask that you not forward your e-ticket.  We ask that all that want to join us sign up themselves.
 

E-Ticketing for Congregants:

  • Family, Single, and Young Adult congregants, with accounts in good standing, will receive a "ticket email" on or about  August 31st that will serve as your family's High Holiday services ticket for the adult services in the sanctuary. This ticket email will be sent to the adult family members to the email address that we have in our member directory. The ticket email will be issued from the Congregation Beth Elohim email address:  cbe_main@bethelohim.org.
  • For ease of email search, we will re-issue this ticket email on or about September 15th and September 24th. 

If you have any questions regarding your account, you may contact our financial secretaries, Kathie Becker and Alan Berko, at financialsecretary@bethelohim.org. If you do not receive your ticket by September 5th and you have checked your spam/ junk folder and have confirmed no issue with your CBE account balance, please contact Gary Budiansky at websupport@bethelohim.org.

 

E-Ticketing for Associate Congregants and Non-Congregants

Prospective members

The High Holidays are the perfect time for prospective new members to join our CBE community! If you are considering joining CBE and would like to attend High Holiday services as our guest for the first time, please call 978-263-3061 or email  membership@bethelohim.org . We will be glad to ensure that you receive a complementary e-ticket email for in-person services and/or we will provide you the ZOOM links and passwords if you prefer to participate via ZOOM. Our membership chairs can also tell you more about our community, CBE membership, and reduced rates for new members. 

If you have children we are happy to have the children of prospective members attend our children's programming. Please pre-register and pay the children's programming fee BELOW.

Reciprocal Tickets

No-cost reciprocal tickets are available to family members of congregants or to associate members who belong to a synagogue outside of our area. We request that you provide written confirmation of membership in good standing from the other synagogue to our Synagogue Administrator at cbeacton@bethelohim.org and we will issue you a ticket email for our in person services and provide the ZOOM link and password if you plan to attend via ZOOM. 

Adult IN-PERSON SERVICES e-Tickets (non-congregant & associate congregants)

  • Sign up to receive ADULT IN-PERSON SERVICES e-tickets HERE

  • Congregants or their non-congregant family members may purchase tickets for additional non-congregant family members that will join in-person services with them at $75 per ticket. 

  • Associate congregants may purchase tickets at $75 per ticket.

  • We welcome non-congregants to join us in person by purchasing tickets at $350 per adult and $75 per child in grade 7 through college age. 

  • Upon registration you will receive a confirmation email that will serve as your e-ticket.  

ZOOM SERVICES ONLY Sign-Up (non-congregants)

  • Sign up to join us via ZOOM ONLY HERE
  • We welcome associate congregants, additional family members of congregants, and non-congregants to join our ZOOM services.  We are asking for a fee of $36.
  • You must register in order to receive the ZOOM link and password.
 

Childcare and children's programming - in person

Programming for children 3 months to grade 6

 

Sign-up using the High Holidays Children's Registration Form by Wednesday, September 13th.

Please email Leslie Knight at programming@bethelohim.org to let CBE know if your child has any food allergies, needs any accommodations, or if you have any questions.

For $18 per child with a $36 maximum per family, we are happy to offer 
  • Childcare on the two days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur morning from 9:30 AM until the end of adult services for children ages 3 months to Pre-K. 
  • Children's services and programming for:
    • students in grades K through 6 on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur morning and for
    • students in grades K through 3 on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

Children in grades 7 and above (grade 4 and above on Rosh Hashanah day 2)

  • Children in grade 7 and above are invited to attend all adult services
  • Children in grade 4 and above are invited to attend adult services on Rosh Hashanah Day 2, as children's programming is available through grade 3.
  • Students in grades 8 to 12 are invited to attend the adult services.  However, we do have a limited number of volunteer opportunities for members in grades 8 to 12.  Find more information below and Sign up HERE to volunteer.  

 

Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Luncheon at Mt Calvary Church (Saturday, September 16 at 1:00 PM)

We encourage you to sign up for our Rosh Hashanah Day 1 luncheon. This will be a beautiful opportunity to relax, socialize, greet old friends, and meet new people. 

We will offer a nut-free dairy meal with gluten free options in keeping with our food policies.  We will serve a variety of bagels with fixings, salads, egg salad, kugel, and desserts. 

Lunch is at Mt. Calvary Church, 472 Massachusetts Ave, at the corner of Mass Ave and Prospect St. It is 0.3 miles (7 min walk) from CBE. Thank you to our partners at Mt. Calvary Church for graciously allowing us to use their space as we ring in the new year as a kehillah achat! 

Please pre-register here.  We are asking for $18/adult and $10/ child under age 13 with a family maximum of $46.  

When you sign up, you may also request a ride from CBE to Mt Calvary Church and we will arrange that for you.

Please contact our synagogue administrator, Miriam at mbeitaharon@bethelohim.org or 978-263-3061 to request financial assistance.

 

High Holiday Appeal

What does the CBE community mean to you?

As a member of CBE, you and your family bring something important to this community, and CBE provides many opportunities to be involved throughout the year, in ways that are meaningful to you. Our unique Jewish community endures solely because of the contributions and efforts of our members.

We hope you'll support this year's High Holiday appeal through a donation. You can donate online, selecting "High Holiday Appeal" in the dropdown list. or you can mail or drop off your donation in the envelope enclosed in the High Holiday Appeal mailing that you received/ will receive.

Read more about why your contribution is so important to sustaining our community. 

 

Special High Holiday Programming

S’lichot Service and Conversation (Saturday, September 9, 8:00 PM)

Join Cantor Sarra and Rabbi David for Havdallah, a short service of poems and prayers to prepare us for the High Holidays, and a community discussion on Barbie and Jewish Identity. We will watch “The Tribe,” an 18-minute film by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Tiffany Shlain which explores Jewish identity through the Barbie doll and her Jewish mother/ creator Ruth Handler.

Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Luncheon: September 16th at 1:00 PM

We will gather for lunch after services on the first day of Rosh Hashanah.  More information coming soon....

Lay-Led Programming: Yom Kippur afternoon (3:15 PM to 4:30 PM)

Topic: Contemplating Jonah:  Lay-led Meditation, Chanting, & Reflection on Yom Kippur Afternoon
led by Jess Rosenblatt, Ritual Chair & Leslie Knight, VP of Programming
 

What is this program?
On Yom Kippur afternoon, during the break between morning and afternoon services, Jess and Leslie will lead a relaxed and contemplative program focused on the Book of Jonah.  The session will last approximately an hour and the general plan is that Leslie will lead a guided meditation, Jess will chant the full Book of Jonah in Hebrew, and then there will be an opportunity for reflection.   Read More...

Discussion between Rabbi David and Rabbi Emeritus Mintz: Yom Kippur afternoon (5:00 PM to 5:45 PM)

Join us as we hear from our Rabbis.

High Holidays Annual Food Drive for the Acton Food Pantry

Acton Food Pantry serves a critical need in our community by feeding hungry families in our community. Please give generously!

Instructions: Pack your non-perishable items in bags or boxes and bring to the synagogue parking lot on Kol Nidre, September 24th, or on Yom Kippur morning, September 25th.

You may donate non-perishable food items, baby items, personal care items.  

Questions? Contact Rick Silverman.

 

Volunteers Needed!

Adult volunteers for our Hospitality roles (ZOOM Hosts, Ushers, Greeters, and Parking Assistants)

We need many volunteers to serve in these roles across all days and services.

You may sign up using the High Holidays Hospitality Volunteer Form here.   You may sign up for multiple services & volunteer roles on this form.  

If you were unable to attend the September 11th training session,  CJP Community Security Initiative offers several in-person and virtual training sessions.  The CBE Security team has provided more details about the training at CBE and schedule details and registration links for the CJP training.

You will be contacted by Leslie Knight or others with more information prior to the holidays.  Contact Leslie at programming@bethelohim.org with any questions.

Parent volunteers for children's programming check-in

We are looking for one parent volunteer from 9:00 AM to about 10:00 AM for each of the three mornings of children's programming to greet and check in children.  You will find the parent volunteer sign-up at the bottom of the High Holidays Children's Registration Form, so can sign-up when you sign up your children.  

Teen volunteers in grades 8 to 12 for children's programming

We are looking for teen volunteers in grades 8 to 12 to assist during the children's services and post-services programming. 

Parents of teens or teens, themselves, can sign up HERE to volunteer.  We'll ask for the teen's two top choices of age groups to volunteer with.  Beth Goldstein will assign the teen volunteers based on where there is a need and attempt to place the teen in one of their choice rooms, but no guarantees.  

Parents signing up younger children will, optionally, find a section at the bottom of the High Holidays Children's Registration Form to sign up their teens to volunteer. 

 

Sign Up for Community Shofar Chorus

It is tradition at CBE that many congregants bring their shofars and join together on the bimah for our "community shofar chorus" on both days of Rosh Hashanah. Please note that we will have a shofar service on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah, which is Shabbat, so that everyone has a chance to hear the sound of the shofar this year.

To help keep our community safe, we are asking, again, this year that all who want to join the "shofar chorus" pre-register. You will be asked to take a COVID rapid test, provided by CBE, on the morning before Rosh Hashanah services.    

Pre-register HERE and let us know who, in your family, will join us with their shofar!  

 

Yizkor Memorial Booklet

During the Yizkor service, we remember our family members, congregants, and friends who have passed. Yizkor services take place four times each year: Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret (at the end of Sukkot), the last day of Passover, and Shavuot. 

Find the online version of this year's booklet HERE.

Each year we print a booklet recalling our loved ones, distributed at the Yizkor service on Yom Kippur and other holidays throughout the year. We will automatically be adding the names of loved ones lost during 5783.

In addition, like last year, we are offering a memorial pages for congregants to remember a loved one lost in the past year. If you would like us to create a special page, please submit photos and a brief message to yizkorbook@bethelohim.org. We have extended this deadline to Friday, September 8.  

In honor of the gift of our loved ones’ lives and contributions, there is also a custom to donate tzedakah (assistance to those in need) or to the synagogue community.

Wed, May 8 2024 30 Nisan 5784