Erev Rosh Hashanah

In partnership with Wilderness Torah

Monday, September 22  •  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Service Leaders: Rabbi Zvika Krieger| Lior Tsarfaty | and other special guests
Cantorial Soloist: Daniela Gesundheit
Musicians: Lauren Arrow | Michaelle Goerlitz | Irene Sazar | Eliyahu Sills

First Presbyterian Church
2407 Dana Street, Berkeley CA 94704

The gates are open: We invite you to open to all that is possible

This service, the first gate of renewal, invites us to celebrate the creation of the world and all its possibilities. It is the first step in our spiritual journey. As individuals in community, we center ourselves in the mystery of continuous creation. Our celebration strengthens us so that we are ready to explore the larger questions of purpose and honest self-evaluation. We open our hearts with embodied prayer, soulful singing, ecstatic dancing, guided meditation, sharing of ancestral wisdom, and connection in intergenerational community.

For more information about our services, check out our main High Holy Days information page.

Multi Access Locations
All Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services will be live at First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, CA and livestreamed via Zoom

HIGH HOLY DAYS AT CHOCHMAT HALEV

חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ

Chazak v’Ya’ametz Libecha —
Courage and Resilience for Turbulent Times

 

In a world marked by uncertainty and overwhelm, the High Holy Days are an opportunity to be held by community, fill our cups with spiritual sustenance, and fortify our hearts for the challenges ahead. Don’t settle for rote performance or empty ritual this year. Join us at Chochmat HaLev to 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 Deepen your connection to Spirit by transcending outdated and dissonant notions of the Divine.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 welcomes you in your full complexity.

Service Leaders: Rabbi Zvika Krieger | Lior Tsarfaty

Cantorial Soloist: Daniela Gesundheit

Guest Teachers: Melanie DeMore | Laura Goldman | Rabbi SaraLeya Schley

Musicians: Lauren Arrow  |  Eliyahu Sills  |  Don Benedictson  |  Irene Sazar |  Michaelle Goerlitz

Recordings of the services will not be available. Sorry, no photography or video allowed.

High Holy Days 5786

ROSH HASHANAH in partnership with Wilderness Torah

Erev Rosh Hashanah (evening): Monday, September 22  •  7 pm
Rosh Hashanah Day Services: Tuesday, September 23  •  10 am

ROSH HASHANAH SECOND DAY 

Torah Study & Contemplative Service:  Wednesday, September 24  •  10 am

YOM KIPPUR in partnership with Wilderness Torah

Erev Yom Kippur (evening): Wednesday, October 1  •  6:30 pm
Yom Kippur Day Contemplative Service: Thursday, October 2  •  10 am
Torah and Musaf: Thursday, October 2   •  12:30 pm
Yizkor (Memorial Service): Thursday, October 2   •  5:00 pm
Neilah (Closing Service): Thursday, October 2   •  6:30 pm

Date

Sep 22 2025

Time

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location

First Presbyterian Church
2407 Dana Street, Berkeley CA 94704
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