Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening Service

Friday, September 11  •  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Post Service Tea Lounge • 9:00pm – 10:30pm

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.

Don’t forget to come to our beloved social tea lounge in the back courtyard after services – hang out, set intentions for the new year, and enjoy tea and meeting new people!

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

אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

Agudah Echad, BLevav Shalem –
A Tapestry of Tender Hearts:
Finding Strength in Community

(From the Rosh Hashana Musaf Liturgy)

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 Deepen your connection to Spirit by transcending outdated and dissonant notions of the Divine.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

Teachers: Melanie DeMore | Laura Goldman | Rabbi Rishe Groner

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 5787

ROSH HASHANAH in partnership with Wilderness Torah

Erev Rosh Hashanah Evening  Service: Friday, September 11  •  7 pm
Rosh Hashanah Daytime Service: Saturday, September 12  •  10 am

ROSH HASHANAH SECOND DAY 

Torah Study & Contemplative Service:  Sunday, September 13  •  10 am

YOM KIPPUR in partnership with Wilderness Torah

Erev Yom Kippur Evening Service (Kol Nidre): Sunday, September 20  •  6:30 pm
Yom Kippur Daytime Contemplative Service: Monday, September 21  •  10 am
Torah and Musaf: Monday, September 21  •  12:30 pm
Yizkor (Memorial) Service: Monday, September 21   •  5:00 pm
Neilah (Closing) Service: Monday, September 21   •  6:30 pm

Date

Sep 11 2026

Time

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location

First Presbyterian Church
2407 Dana Street, Berkeley CA 94704

Chochmat members receive FREE High Holy Day tickets as part of their membership (a $380 value).

If Chochmat has nourished you spiritually and you believe in our mission, this is a perfect time to give back!

Make it official—join today at chochmat.org/join and help sustain the community you love.

We offer flexible membership tiers to meet a range of budgets.

ALL CHOCHMAT MEMBERS MUST REGISTER TO RECEIVE TICKETS, USING THE ACCESS CODE EMAILED TO YOU.

Chochmat Members receive a 30% discount on retreat tickets, and priority registration until February 9th.

If Chochmat has nourished you spiritually and you believe in our mission, this is a perfect time to give back!

Make it official—join today at chochmat.org/join and help sustain the community you love.

We offer flexible membership tiers to meet a range of budgets.

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