High Holiday Services
Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays is the time to share in the sweetness of apples and honey, our families, friends and community. We hope you will join us for any one of our various services this year -- main sanctuary, tot and family services are all available. Childcare will be provided.
Please contact the SAJ Office at 212-724-7000 to purchase tickets.
Rosh Hashanah begins on Friday evening, September 18, and goes through September 20. Yom Kippur begins with Kol Nidre on the evening of Sunday, September 27 and concludes with the Ne'ilah service in the the evening of September 28.
See complete service schedule below.
A CHOICE OF SERVICES
Sanctuary/Balcony Services
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Cantor Lisa Arbisser will lead our very musical and inspiring Sanctuary services. The SAJ Choir, led by Ben Gruder, will again be enhancing our services.
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we will hear from three congregants who will speak about their Jewish journeys.
During an afternoon break on Yom Kippur, we will hear from writer and professor, Nili Gold (at 3:00 PM ) and two brothers, James and Stephen Smith, who run a British Holocaust Center and focus on genocide issues (at 4:00PM).
Finally, the Ne'ilah service to conclude Yom Kippur will include a special ceremony including the children.
Family Services in the Social Hall
There will be two Family Services, led by Rabbi Joy Levitt, Executive Director of the JCC, Education Director Gidon Isaacs, and Jen Shankman, song leader and teacher at the JCC nursery school. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, September 19, and on Yom Kippur, there will be a Tot Family Service from 9:30 – 10:15 AM for families with children ages 7 and under. From 10:30AM to noon, there will be a Children’s Family Service for families with children age 7 – 12. On Kol Nidre, September 27 there will be one service for all families from 6:30 – 7:45 PM. A special booklet, not the traditional High Holy Day prayerbook, is used, and Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Cantor Lisa Arbisser will join the Family Services at various times.
Unaccompanied children will not be accommodated at the Family Service: all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Children’s Service
To better accommodate parents who wish to attend the sanctuary service on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, a Children’s Service for children ages 7 and under, will be held on that day from 10 – 11 AM. Parents may attend this Children’s Service, or they may instead attend Sanctuary services.
Childcare
Childcare will be available for all ticket holding families during all services, from 9:30 AM until 1:30 PM.
SEATING
The SAJ has an open seating policy by section, meaning if you have a sanctuary ticket, you can sit in any available seat in the sanctuary, a balcony ticket in the balcony, etc. Exceptions are made on the eve of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, September 18, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, September 20, and at Ne’ilah (the last service on Yom Kippur). At those times, adult Family Services ticket holders are invited to the Sanctuary. Parents are especially encouraged to bring their children to the Sanctuary for the moving end of the Ne’ilah service.
We look forward to greeting you for the New Year.
