HHD Service Choices

We encourage all families with children under the age of 12 to attend our afternoon options for families at 3pm on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in order to have a festival experience together. The service will be approx. 45 mins long. We hope to hold these outdoors but we'll move to the sanctuary if the weather does not cooperate. There is also an early childhood service for those with children under the age of 5 that will be approx. 30 mins long at 11am.  Additionally, we have wonderful youth programs planned for our K-6 grade and childwatch for our 2-5 year olds so that your children can have  age-appropriate learning and celebration while parents are free to attend the 9am adult service. Please note that pre-registration is required for childwatch only.
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We are offering a youth program (K-6) and childwatch (ages 2-5) at the temple from 8:45am until the 10:45am. This allows parents to attend the 9am adult service.
Registration for Childwatch (required)
Registration for Grades 1-6 Progtram.
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For all who are over 12, there are two adult morning service options on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This year the more traditional a capella service will take place at 9am in the sanctuary. A service with musical instruments and choral music will take place in the sanctuary at 11:30am.
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Our Kol Nidre service in the sanctuary, led by Rabbi Eiduson and Cantorial Soloist Lisa Marcus Jones, begins with a rendition on cello of Bruch’s Kol Nidre and is followed by a more traditional liturgy a capella. The Reflective Kol Nidre service in the social hall, led by Rabbi Gurevitz and Cantorial Soloist Sharon Brown Goldstein, includes musical instruments and includes the central anthems such as Kol Nidre, Avinu Malkeinu, Ashamnu. We include less liturgy overall and, instead invite congregants into a more personal and reflective start to this holiest day of the year. You will hear Bruch's Kol Nidre for cello and piano in the Reflective Kol Nidre service too.
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Yes! Tashlich is a short ritual that ends with scattering bird seed into the water. You will also hear the shofar at this outdoor ceremony. We are offering two times to gather at Lake Chauncey beach in Westborough on the 1st day of Rosh Hashanah – 1:30pm and 4pm. The first gathering begins shortly after the end of the choir morning service. The afternoon gathering begins shortly after the end of the family service. Anyone can attend either gathering. This year we are inviting those attending the 4pm Tashlich to bring a picnic and stay awhile to socialize while children play on the beach and playground.
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We will be streaming all services from the sanctuary and the social hall so you will have the same choice of service if you choose to join us from home this year. We will also stream our outdoor family services.
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We are able to make a limited number of sets of our High Holy Day prayer books available for loan on request via this form. The kindle-formatted version is available for purchase here. You can purchase your own print copies of the 2-volume machzor here. There are essays, teachings and wonderful poetry in the machzor and many appreciate having additional time at home to better appreciate all that is in our machzor.
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Yes! The opportunity to gather and connect informally is so important at this time of year, and it is something we've missed. So this year we are providing a number of these opportunities. Join us on Erev Rosh Hashanah and we'll end the evening with a light dessert Oneg to ring in the New Year. At 4pm on the 1st day of Rosh Hashanah we invite all to BYO picnic so that we can socialize on the beach at Lake Chauncey after the brief Tashlich ritual. On 2nd day Rosh Hashanah we're bringing back the dairy pot luck lunch after the service, with thanks to our Sisterhood. At the close of Yom Kippur, all are invited to register for our Break Fast. While there is a charge for the Break Fast, no-one will be turned away for financial reasons. Please contact Steve Winer if we can help you to attend. And there's more! On Erev Sukkot we'll offer a family dinner before the short, festive service and an adult catered dinner with wine and soft drinks after the service, followed by our evening speaker program.
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