HH SCHEDULE

Tizku LeShanim Rabboth! Shanah Tovah u'metukah! A Happy New Year

Here is the Schedule for Rosh Hashana, the Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur

Selichot
September 12
8:00 p.m. Ma’ariv and Havdalah
8:30 p.m. Special Think Tank: Reward, Punishment w. Rabbis Drs. Bennett Blum & Howard Schwartz
9:30 p.m. Selichot
Regular Zoom channel

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur via Zoom
Based on the recommendations of our COVID Task Force, we have made the decision to hold all of our high holiday services via Zoom. We have been delighted by the presence of so many of you during our Shabbat and twice-daily minyanim and we feel confident that we can continue to create meaningful and positive prayer experiences in this virtual setting. 

Children and Families
Rosh Hashana Day 1
9:15-9:45 a.m. Storytelling, song and prayer with Jordan Wiley-Hill
geared for ages 6-10 but open to all.

Rosh Hashana Day 2
11-11:30 a.m. Storytelling, song and prayer with Jordan Wiley-Hill
geared for ages 6-10 but open to all.

Yom Kippur
9:15-9:45 a.m. Storytelling, song and prayer with Jordan Wiley-Hill
geared for ages 6-10 but open to all.

Registration
As in past years, we want everyone to have the opportunity to have a place to pray on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. For that reason, at Bet Shalom does not require ticket purchase for participation. We do, however, require registration because space in our Zoom room is limited to 300 logins. Registration for the High Holiday prayers are now open and we ask that you please register HERE. 

Please note:  In addition to Zoom, the services will also be livestreamed on YouTube if we exceed our 300 person Zoom room.  All links will be sent the week before Rosh Hashana.

Machzorim (High Holiday Prayerbooks)
We recommend purchasing your own Lev Shalem machzor this year.

Print (Hardcover) Edition:
PLEASE NOTE: The Rabbincal Assembly has sold out of machzorim this year. Please see below about digital copies and borrowing a machzor.

Borrow a Machzor
For those that need to borrow a machzor from Bet Shalom, we will have two opportunities to come by to safely pick one up. Please remember that these will be loaned on an honor system and are expected to be returned after the holiday. 

Pick up Times:

Sunday, Sept 13, 5-6:30 p.m. 
Monday, Sept 14 9:15-10:45 a.m.

Digital Edition:
We will have digital copies of this machzor to share. The content may be accessed across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. It is recommended that you have the digital download on a separate device so you can more easily manage the machzor and the zoom at the same time. If you would like a digital copy, please email Lisa at lisa@cbsaz.org.

Project Isaiah- Supporting the Community Food Bank
We will keep you posted about how we might continue to support those in our community in need of sustenance through donations to the Community Food Bank or other organizations serving those in need. More information will follow.

Book of Remembrance
We will be creating a digital Book of Remembrance as a way to honor the memories of loved ones.  If you would like to include the names of family members, please click here to fill in the form. Deadline September 10.

Etrog and Lulav/Arba Minim Orders
This the perfect year to purchase your own Etrog and Lulav set to practice the mitzvah at home!  If you would like to have a set for Sukkot, please order before September 10. Please order these on time as we need to place these orders with an outside supplier, and there is high demand. 
To place your order, please click  HERE.

Customs of Elul
There are many customs during this special month of Elul. 
1) The shofar is blown after morning prayers. This is done to awaken our hearts and minds to self-contemplation. The shofar is likened to a cry in the Rabbinic literature, and this cry in turn, leads us to think of where we can improve. This will lead to teshuva and can help us be more ready for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. 

2) Psalm 27 is added to the liturgy and is recited before sounding the shofar. It is recited after Shaharit and Arvit (morning and evening prayers). This Psalm has an interesting dichotomy; in the first half, the psalmist is sure in his trust in God. In the second half, the psalmist is in a desperate search for God and speaks of abandonment and request for help. The psalm becomes a catalyst for meditation during this season of introspection. 

3) Many communities start reciting Selihot (penitential prayers) during the month of Elul, while some others start a few days before Rosh Hashana. Like the other customs of Elul, the prayers and poetry of the selihot help to bring those who are reciting them to deeper introspection and teshuva. 

4) Many people increase their charitable giving during this time to increase their merits. It is a very auspicious time to increase one's observance of mitzvoth and to become a more sensitive and refined person. 

5) Many people start to wish each other a happy new year from the start of Elul through Rosh Hashanah. Some of the traditional greetings are Shana Tova! (happy new year, Hebrew), ketivah v'hatimah tovah (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year, Hebrew), Tizku LeShanim Rabboth (May you merit many years, Hebrew), Gut Yohr ( A good year, Yiddish), Buenos Anyos ( good years, Judeo-Spanish). 

Customs of Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur.   
1) The Simanim: Jewish Communities worldwide eat certain foods on Rosh Hashana as a symbolic prayer for blessings in the new year. This practice is based on the Talmud (Horiyot 12a) where the Hakhamim expound on the great meaning behind these auspicious foods. The foods eaten vary from community to community, but the foods are only a symbol that helps us to focus our prayers and our mindset for a positive outcome. As the food is eaten, a prayer is recited for each one, starting with the phrase "Ye'hi Ratson". It is for this reason that this symbolic seder is often called the "Ye'hi Ratsones" by Sepharadim. 
For more information on the Ye'hi Ratsones, please click  HERE
For the text please click  HERE

2)Tashlikh- Tashlikh is a time to have a reflective moment with your self and God. Usually done by a body of water, we meditate on the God's kindness, and how we can be more worthy of it. To learn more about Tashlikh, please click  HERE


3) The 10 days of Awe- Many people increase their charitable giving during this time in order to increase their merits. It is a very auspicious time to increase one's observance of mitzvoth and to become a more sensitive and refined person. Other people take on stringencies they normally wouldn't hold during this time such as drinking and eating only dairy products that are Halav Yisrael (milk that was milked by an observant Jew) or only eating bread that is Pat Yisrael (bread that was baked by an observant Jew). The most important thing is to refine our character traits and to love and be respectful of others. 

4) Many people start to wish each other a happy new year from the start of Elul through Rosh Hashanah. Some of the traditional greetings are Shana Tova! (happy new year, Hebrew), ketivah v'hatimah tovah (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year, Hebrew), Tizku LeShanim Rabboth (May you merit many years, Hebrew), Gut Yohr ( A good year, Yiddish), Buenos Anyos ( good years, Judeo-Spanish). 
 

5) Kapparoth- A custom has developed in the Jewish world to perform an atonement ceremony on the eve of Kippur. This ceremony is known as kapparoth (literally atonement) and in many circles involves swinging a chicken over one's head 3 times while reciting "this is my atonement". While customs are important, distinctions should be made between proper customs and improper customs. The Ramban called the practice pagan and Hakham Shelomo ben Aderet forbade kapparoth in his city. Rabbi Haim David Halevy cites the Hayye Adam, in favour of using money instead of a live chicken. This seems to be the most humane method if one wanted to do kapparoth.