HIGH HOLY DAYS 2024/5785
Go Deeper
Join Us For:
Rosh Hashanah in partnership with Wilderness Torah
Erev Rosh Hashanah: Wednesday, October 2 • 7 pm
Rosh Hashanah Services & Community Picnic: Thursday, October 3 • 10 am
Rosh Hashanah Second Day
Torah Study: Friday, October 4 • 10 am
Contemplative Service: Friday, October 4 • 11 am
Picnic & Tashlich Ritual: Friday, October 4 • 1 pm
Yom Kippur in partnership with Wilderness Torah
Erev Yom Kippur: Friday, October 11 • 6:30 pm
Yom Kippur Contemplative Service: Saturday, October 12 • 10 am
Torah and Musaf Service • 12:30 pm
Yizkor • 5 pm
Neilah • 6:30 pm
All services to be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St, Berkeley, CA 94704, except for the Contemplative service on Second Day Rosh Hashanah.
If you are planning to join via Zoom-only, please use the following form and the link will be sent in the confirmation form. For those who pre-registered, the Zoom link was sent Friday (9/22) afternoon.
עָמוק מְי יִמצָאֶֽנּו
Will you go deep with us?
For High Holy Days this year, don’t settle for rote performance or empty ritual. We invite you to go deeper with us.
Peel back the layers of the traditional liturgy to find meaning for our lives today. Make our sacred texts come alive in new and provocative ways. Allow our soulful music to open your heart and release what no longer serves you. Deepen your connection to Spirit by transcending outdated and dissonant notions of the Divine. Create deep bonds with a community that holds you in your full complexity.
This year’s High Holy Days mark Chochmat HaLev’s 30th anniversary, in which will be kicking off a year of opportunities to deepen your spiritual practice, relationships, and service to community.
Service Leaders: Zvika Krieger | Lior Tsarfaty
Cantorial Soloist: Daniela Gesundheit
Guest Teachers: Melanie DeMore | Laura Goldman | Rebecca Schisler
Musicians: Lauren Arrow | Eliyahu Sills (RH only) | Don Benedictson (YK only) | Irene Sazar | Michaelle Goerlitz
Recordings will not be available after services. Sorry, no photography or video allowed.
Security Protocols
In order to keep our community safe, and with awareness of the current threat climate for Jews, we are taking specific security precautions. These include:
- The hiring of a professional security agency that will have guards at the main entrance and the childcare building.
- Checking for wristbands to make sure that only authorized and ticketed members of our community can access the sanctuary. Wristbands are required at all times.
- We have been in communication with the Berkeley Police Department, and they will be patrolling the area around the church, and will have a more visible deterrent presence.
- Children must be in childcare, or with a parent or adult guardian at all times to keep them safe.
Elul
Elul: Programming to Prepare for High Holy Days
Wednesday, October 2, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Pacific time
See details about all Elul programs »
Rosh Hashanah
Erev Rosh Hashanah
Wednesday, October 2, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Pacific time
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Rosh Hashanah Day
Thursday, October 3 • 10:00 am - 1:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Rosh Hashanah Second Day: Contemplative Service, Picnic & Tashlich Ritual
Friday, October 4
AT CHOCHMAT HALEV: Torah Study 10 am • Contemplative Service 11 am
AT URBAN ADAMAH: Picnic 1 pm • Family Programming 1:30 pm • Tashlich Ritual 2:30 pm
Chochmat Halev and Urban Adamah are partnering for a community picnic and Tashlich ritual on the farm.
More info »
Yom Kippur
Erev Yom Kippur
Friday, October 11 • 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Yom Kippur Day Contemplative Service
Saturday, October 12 • 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Yom Kippur Day Torah and Musaf Service
Saturday, October 12 • 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Yom Kippur Day Workshops
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 • 3:15 pm
First Presbyterian Church
More info »
Yom Kippur Day Yizkor
Saturday, October 12 • 5:00 pm - 6:15 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Yom Kippur Day Neilah
Saturday, October 12 • 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm
First Presbyterian Church
In partnership with Wilderness Torah
More info »
Sukkot
Sukkot Programs
Thursday, October 16 • 7 - 8:30 pm
at Chochmat Halev in the Sukkah
See all Sukkot events »
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah Celebration with Kehilla Community Synagogue
at Urban Adamah
We will be partnering with Kehillah Community Synagogue for a Simchat Torah celebration.
More info »
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Please help us make these High Holy Days services successful by being one of our holy volunteers! Everyone, young and older, can participate in this mitzvah! No special skills or experience required. It’s a great way to build more connection to our awesome community. Please sign up here:
CHILDCARE
Childcare will be available on site for children ages 4-6 and 7-11. On Rosh Hashanah, we will have childcare for the evening and morning services; on Yom Kippur, we will have childcare for the evening and morning services but not for the Yizkor and Neilah services.
We will offer holiday specific programming and music during the daytime services and appropriate activities on Erev Rosh Hashanah and Erev Yom Kippur. Families are required to reserve a spot and pay a childcare fee in advance of the holidays. Registration must be submitted by 9/24/24 for Rosh Hashanah and by 10/1/2024 for Yom Kippur in order for us to have sufficient staff to care for your children.
Childcare fees are $30 per service, for one child, $15 for each additional child.
Childcare sign up will be offered when you register for High Holidays.
PARKING & ACCESSIBILITY
The sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church is wheelchair accessible. The only accessible bathrooms at the church are in another building, but people requiring this will have access to that building.
COVID PROTOCOLS
For our High Holy Day services at First Presbyterian Church, we will offer a designated “Masked Only” area near an open door for people wanting to be masked and sitting near other masked people. There will be signage in this area. Please ask an usher if you need help finding this section.
Chochmat HaLev’s general COVID policy, effective May 19th, 2023 is as follows:
Chochmat HaLev, in consultation with our medical advisor and based on community survey results, will discontinue masking requirements for attendance at events. Masks, although not required, are recommended. We understand people will need to make their own decisions about exposure and risk based on their own personal preferences, and health status.
Chochmat HaLev will provide passive ventilation (e.g., open windows and doors under the supervision of security-trained personnel) and other equipment as available.
Chochmat HaLev will include specific guidelines for those attending in person events on our website and in announcements regarding events.
Chochmat HaLev will provide seating adjacent to a window in an end-of-the-row seat to individuals upon request.
DO NOT attend an event at Chochmat HaLev:
- if you are experiencing any potential symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness
- if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days and have not had a negative antigen test on Day 6 or later
- if you have had a known exposure to COVID-19 in the past 3-5 days
- if a household member has tested positive in the last 10 days and has not had a negative test on Day 6 or later
