Sign In Forgot Password

SAJ Members Celebrate the High Holy Days 2017/5778

Click Here to Order Tickets

(members must be logged in to purchase on-line)

IMPORTANT HIGH HOLY DAY INFORMATION

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Member Deadline for Ordering Tickets is Wednesday, August 9

July 24, 2017

Dear SAJers,

We look forward to celebrating the High Holy Days 5778 together with Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann and Cantor Lisa Arbisser leading and inspiring us. We will be joined by our choir, led by Ben Gruder and our SAJ Band led by Naomi Less. We also hold family services for two age groups, programming for teens, a non-traditional spiritual experience led by Rabbi Emeritus Michael Strassfeld for those not affiliated, and youth groups (childcare). Please make your arrangements for tickets now, and do not hesitate to reach out to me by phone or by e-mail if you have any questions about our High Holy Day services.

DATES

Rosh Hashanah - Wednesday evening, September 20 through Friday, September 22.

Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur - Friday evening, September 29 through Saturday evening, September 30.

TICKET INFORMATION

We have more than enough seats to accommodate all our members, as long as members and MAKOM at SAJ Families order tickets by Wednesday, August 9. After that, we open up seats to
non-members.

Through Wednesday, August 9, tickets will be sold only to members of the SAJ. All adults must have tickets to all services. Children must have their own tickets to attend the Sanctuary Services.
While there is no cost, children do need tickets for the Family Services. Teens will also need tickets for the Teen Programming. We request payment in full when ordering your tickets. This can be paid by credit card or check.

You will receive your tickets in the mail on/about Friday, September 8.

A CHOICE OF SERVICES

  1.  Sanctuary/Balcony Services

Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann and Cantor Lisa Arbisser will lead the Sanctuary services and will be joined by The SAJ Choir led by Ben Gruder, and The SAJ Band led by Naomi Less. 
On Rosh Hashanah, we will acknowledge the milestones in our lives on the first day, and hear
from three congregants discussing a theme of the day in relation to their lives on the second day.
On Yom Kippur, we will recite Kol Nidre, have special programming during the afternoon break between services, and conclude with a special ceremony involving all our children at Ne’ilah, then join together for the annual BYO Community Break Fast.

Youth Groups (Childcare) will be available for children of all ticket holding adults during most Sanctuary services, from 10:00 AM until 1:30 PM.

  1.  Family Services in the Social Hall

Two age-appropriate Family Services will be co-led by our Director of Education and Family Engagement, Tehilah Eisenstadt, and Matthew Check, who has co-led the Family High Holy Day Services for the past two years. 

The services are interactive and age-appropriate, incorporating traditional elements of the High Holy Days services with meaningful contemporary elements including storytelling, readings, discussions and music.

These service times are:

First Day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings:

  9:30 AM - 10:15 AM - For families with children ages newborn - 7.

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM - For families with children ages 8 - 12.

12:00 PM –   1:30 PM - Parents are invited to the main sanctuary to join the larger community for
a reflective part of our services, including a celebration of community milestones. This is an opportunity to be in a High Holy Day service led by our clergy. Children will remain in the Social Hall for a children’s program.

On Kol Nidre, Friday evening, September 29, there will be one Family Service for all ages from
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM.  New this year -- Rabbi Lauren and Cantor Lisa will co-lead the beginning of this family service.

All children must be accompanied by an adult (not an older sibling); unaccompanied children cannot be accommodated at the Family Service.

  1.  Teens

There will be special teen programming from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. Then, from 12:00 - 1:30 PM, teens will have a choice of volunteering with youth groups (childcare) or in the Social Hall, or attending the Main Service in the Sanctuary. Teens are invited to the Sanctuary services the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Neilah.  

  1. Celebrating the High Holy Days: A Non-Traditional Spiritual Experience

The SAJ is once again offering a special High Holy Days experience, led by Rabbi Emeritus Michael Strassfeld. The program will be a non-traditional, spiritual experience in a space at West End Collegiate Church, at 245 West 77th Street. We hope this service will be attractive to non-SAJers, so please share this with people you think would be interested. Ticket holders to this service are invited to SAJ for the second day of Rosh Hashanah and for the Ne’ilah service at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Strassfeld has shared the following description of the program. Please send it on to anyone who you think might like to attend:

The Jewish High Holy Days offers each of us the opportunity for personal change. What can I bring with me into the New Year and what can I leave behind? How can I become more like the person I want to be? This experience will focus on the themes of change rather than on the traditional liturgy. We will gather for three sessions—each only an hour and a half long. Through readings, spiritual teachings, singing wordless melodies, and quiet reflection, we will use the gift of the time of these High Holy Days to explore our inner life. Note that one must have a ticket to attend this offsite service. There is no charge for the ticket, but we are asking that people who attend these services make a donation to help cover costs for this service. Children’s youth groups (childcare) and programming will be available at this location during daytime services.

MEMBER TICKET PRICES

 

Ticket Type

Price Per Ticket (Payment by Check)

If paying via Credit Card, Suggested Approximate Donation Per Ticket*

Sanctuary

$320

$9.28

Balcony

$250

$7.25

Family Service

$200

$5.80

Family Service
(First Time Attendees Only)

$100

$2.90

Teens

$50

$1.45

Offsite non-traditional Spiritual Experience

Donations gratefully accepted to help cover the costs of this service.

Suggested Donation $36.

2.9% of Donation per Ticket

 

*The SAJ incurs a 2.9% processing fee for all credit card charges, amounting to approximately $5,000 this fiscal year. If you do use your credit card, we would appreciate an additional donation to help defray these costs

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. On the eve of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and at the last service on Yom Kippur (Ne'ilah), adult Family Services ticket holders and balcony ticket holders are invited to the Sanctuary or anywhere in the balcony. Parents are especially encouraged to bring their children to the Sanctuary for the moving Ne'ilah (end of Yom Kippur) service.

HONEY FROM THE HEART FUNDRAISER

Once again, the SAJ is participating in ORT America’s Honey from the Heart Fundraiser. This is a great way to send honey to your friends and loved ones to wish them a sweet New Year; while also supporting SAJ and ORT America. More details about this fundraiser, including purchasing information, are enclosed in this mailing.

ORDERING TICKETS

We encourage you to purchase your High Holy Day service tickets directly through your online SAJ account at www.thesaj.org. You need to be logged into your SAJ account to purchase tickets online.  Mail-in paper forms are also enclosed with this letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact Rachel Bitterfield at rbitterfield@thesaj.org or 212-724-7000 ext. 18 with questions about buying tickets. If attending High Holy Day services is an economic hardship at this time, please call. You can also contact me about any other concerns. I am looking forward to celebrating the High Holy Days with you.

 

                                                                      B'shalom,

                                                                      Allison Spitz

                                                                      Chair, Board of Trustees

                                                                      (917) 623-9119

                                                                      visaesq@earthlink.net

Click Here to Order Tickets

(members must be logged in to purchase on-line)

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784