L’Shanah Tovah – Wishing You a Good Year!
Our High Holiday offerings are open to all – anyone and everyone is invited to join us!
As always, all of our High Holiday offerings are free. (To our friends, guests, and other non-members: a donation from the heart would be greatly appreciated.)
To help us plan for seating, refreshments, and other considerations, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for all services (except S’lichot) prior to attending. Please register as early as possible, and at least a day or two before the first service or event that you wish to attend.
After you register, you’re done! Your name will be on a list at the door; simply bring a form of ID. You do not need to register more than once.
Our High Holiday Covid Policy: We value the health and safety of all who worship, celebrate, and learn with us. We want to take care of each other and are particularly conscious of protecting the most vulnerable among us. For that reason, for each of our High Holiday services and events, we will have a special seating area with widely spaced chairs where mask wearing will be mandatory. For the rest of our seating area, we are following the Covid risk as reported by the U.S. Covid Tracker on the CovidActNow website for Monroe County:
—When the risk of Covid is low, masking at Temple Emanu-El is optional.
—When the risk of Covid is medium, masking at Temple Emanu-El is required. We urge attendees to use N95 or KN95 masks. Masks will be available for those who need one.
—When the risk of Covid is high, we will meet via Zoom only.
Determine the Current Covid Risk
For those who would be more comfortable attending from home, phone and Zoom options will be provided for most of our services and events, except where noted below. To login by phone, call 1-929-205-6099 and use meeting ID 820 7559 6858. To login by Zoom, click on the button:
If you call or Zoom in to the services, you’ll need copies of the Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur prayer books, each entitled, Mishkan HaNefesh. Temple Emanu-El members may check out High Holiday prayer books from us for the duration of the holidays by contacting our office before Sept 27 (emanuelrochester@gmail.com, 585-461-2000 ext 203). Both print and Kindle editions of the prayerbooks are available for purchase online.
We are fortunate to have access to an app that aids communication. TigerChat is a phone app that’s been developed by the Center on Access Technology at RIT. The app allows you to converse with or listen to another person or group using automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology that converts spoken words into typed text. You can read our services as they happen! The app was designed to work on the RIT campus, and RIT has extended it so that it now also works in the JCC.
More Information about TigerChat
This year we will again run our High Holidays Food and Clothing Drive by handing out empty bags on Rosh HaShanah and asking you to return them filled on Yom Kippur. We will bring them to Brighton Food Cupboard at Jewish Family Services. Representatives there told us that their greatest needs are canned and boxed food, personal hygiene products, diapers, and NEW and PACKAGED socks, winter gloves, and hats. (Please do not bring used or unpackaged items.)
More Information about Our Food and Clothing Drive
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office at 585-461-2000, ext 203 or emanuelrochester@gmail.com.
For last minute announcements or changes throughout the High Holidays, click on the Updates button that follows:
Our High Holidays Schedule
Downloadable Schedule and Songs
Erev Rosh HaShanah Service
Wed, Oct 2, 8pm in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist, and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The service will be followed by an oneg. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Rosh HaShanah Morning Service
Thurs, Oct 3, 10am in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist, and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Tashlich
Thurs, Oct 3, 12:15pm at the Erie Canal beside the JCC
We will meet at the entrance to the canal from the Wolk Children’s Center parking lot area near Edgewood Avenue. Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our Tashlich service. The phone and Zoom options will not be available for this service.
Shabbat Shuvah Service
Fri, Oct 4, 7pm in the Erdle Lounge by the cafe at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Our service will be led by Xander Karsten, Rabbi Sandra Katz, Leslie Schwartz, and Charlene Sommers. The service will be followed by an oneg. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Erev Yom Kippur Kol Nidre Service
Friday, Oct 11, 8pm in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Yom Kippur Morning Service
Saturday, Oct 12, 10am in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist, and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Yom Kippur Afternoon Workshop
Saturday, Oct 12, 3pm in the Erdle Lounge by the cafe at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead the workshop. She writes, “The war in Gaza has challenged American Jews’ relationship to the State of Israel and revealed deep divisions within our community regarding Israel and Palestine. This workshop provides an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the past year’s events in Israel and Palestine in a non-judgmental setting. We will also discuss Jewish resources to help us respond in a way that leads to reconnection and healing.” The phone and Zoom options will not be available for this program.
Yizkor Service
Saturday, Oct 12, 4:30pm in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist, and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The phone and Zoom options will not be available for this service.
Our Yom Kippur Yizkor Booklet Coming Soon
Yom Kippur Closing Service
Saturday, Oct 12, 5:15pm in the Cafe Lobby at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
Rabbi Drorah Setel will lead our service, Charlene Sommers will be our cantorial soloist, and Bob Dietch will be our keyboardist. The phone and Zoom options will be available for this service.
Break-the-Fast
Saturday, Oct 12, 6pm in the Erdle Lounge at the JCC (Enter the building through the portico doors that face Edgewood Avenue; park in the Wolk parking lot)
We will have an opportunity to chat and mingle while enjoying a light meal together.