High Holy Days
We gather in our spiritual home on the High Holy Days to seek God’s presence, to share our lives as Jews and to be part of the community of Israel. Our services offer a diversity of style, blending the traditional with the contemporary in prayer and song. [Calendar of Jewish Holidays on the URJ website]
Selichot
Saturday before Rosh Hashanah, September 8, 9:00 p.m.
Rosh Hashanah
Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 16
Evening Services, 6:00 & 8:45 p.m.
Rosh Hashanah Day, September 17
Family & Children’s Service A New Beginning, 9:00 a.m.
Morning at Temple, 10:30 a.m.
Morning at Bayou City Event Center – map, 10:30 a.m.
Tashlich, Across from the JCC, 5:00 p.m.
Shabbat Shuvah
Friday after Rosh Hashanah, September 21, 6:00 p.m.
Cemetery Memorial Service
Sunday after Rosh Hashanah, September 23, 5:00 p.m., at Emanu El Memorial Park (map)
Yom Kippur
Kol Nidre, September 25
Evening Services, 6:00 & 8:45 p.m.
Yom Kippur Day, September 26
Family & Children’s Service, It’s Better To Be Better, 9:00 a.m.
Morning 10:45 a.m.
Youth Service, If Not Now When (at Bayou City Event Center – map ), 10:45 am
Afternoon Service 1:15 pm
A Confession for Our Time, 3:00 p.m.
Yizkor/Neilah 4:15 p.m.
Evening Services
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we offer two evening services conducted by our rabbis with music by our cantor and professional choir. We invite you to choose the best time (6:00 or 8:45 p.m.) for your holiday observance.
Children’s Services
To provide the youngest members of our congregation with a meaningful holiday experience, we offer outstanding Children’s Services, On Rosh Hashanah, our creative service A New Beginning, is a wonderful way to begin the New Year. One of the most exciting parts of this service is when children are invited to the pulpit to participate in the Shofar Service. Nearly 100 youngsters bring their Shofars and join in a resounding blast, On Yom Kippur, It’s Better To Be Better, is a prize winning creative service. Guitar music is a highlight for both days.
Rosh Hashanah Morning
We offer two morning services. At the Temple we utilize the Reform Movement’s Gates of Repentance prayer book, that features the traditional sights and sounds of the holiday. Our contemporary service, A Time To Pray, is held at the Bayou City Event Center. Shir Magic, our four-voice musical group with guitars, provides a blend of contemporary and traditional music for this service.
Tashlich
We gather at 5:00 p.m. on Braes Bayou across from the Jewish Community Center to engage in a traditional ceremony symbolic of casting our sins adrift in the water.
Yom Kippur
On Yom Kippur morning we offer two worship opportunities. At the Temple at 10:45 a.m., we offer our traditional morning service with music by our cantor and professional choir. At 10:45 a.m., If Not Now When, a creative alternative worship experience, led by high school students with a sermon by a rabbi and music by Barbara Loeser, is held at Bayou City Event Center.
“A Confession for our Time” is a compelling, hour-long service that prompts each of us to turn inward and ask ourselves the following questions: Am I failing myself? My family? My people? Humanity?
As our day comes to a close we pay loving tribute to the memory of our loved ones. You’ll want to stay to be part of the majesty of our closing service and hear the final blast of the Shofar.
Parking
While our Alan and Lillian Gaylor Parking Facility offers parking on our campus, it was never anticipated that it would accommodate the number of spaces needed for the High Holy Days.
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, both evenings and days,
Floors 3 and 4 of the Parking Facility will be available for general parking on a first-come-first-served basis.
Floors 1 and 2 will be reserved for handicapped and yontif personnel (such as the choir) parking.
Please note below where the alternative parking will be held:
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah Eve
Park at the Medical Clinic of Houston, located at 1707 Sunset. Enter their garage from Cherokee between Sunset and Rice Boulevard. Buses will take you to and from the synagogue. (map)
Rosh Hashanah Day
Park at Rice University. Enter the lot at Gate #8 (Stockton & University.) (map)
Yom Kippur
For Kol Nidre and all day Yom Kippur, park at the Medical Clinic of Houston. (map)
Note: If you are attending services at the Power Center or South Main Baptist Church, both facilities have adequate parking. There is no bus transportation for these alternative locations. (See links to maps below)
Service Locations
Our A Time To Pray, will be held at The Power Center, 12401 South Post Oak. (map)
Our Yom Kippur Youth Service, If Not Now When will be held at South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main Street.map)
Tickets
All members in good standing will receive High Holy Day tickets in the mail. Minors do not need tickets. Your adult children (24 years or older) must be a member in order to receive tickets. We do not sell tickets.
Tickets will be mailed to members in good standing. Remember – minors do not need tickets but adult children (24 years or older) do need their own membership.
Need guest tickets for your out-of-town family? Call the Temple office to make arrangements.
If a member of your family belongs to another Houston synagogue and wants to worship with you, we will admit them with their own congregation ticket.
For any questions about your account, contact Sara Astrich, (713) 529-5771, ext. 224 or Pam Kutner, (713) 529-5771, ext. 221.
Flower Fund
Our Yontif Programs are printed outside the Temple Office. As always we appreciate your generosity, however, we must receive your donations before the printing deadlines.
Wheelchair Seating and Services Over the Telephone
Please contact Linda Stein, (713) 529-5771, ext. 216 or lindas@emanuelhouston.org. When you call or leave a message, please include the services you plan to attend.
NOTE: Wheelchair seating will be released 15 minutes prior to the beginning of services.
Closed Captioning
Brotherhood provides closed captioning for our High Holy Day worshipers who are hearing impaired. Seats are reserved on the south (Sunset) side of the Sanctuary. We also provide signing for those in need.
Hearing Loop
Our Sanctuary is now looped. Those having some degree of hearing loss and a manual telecoil in either their hearing aid and/or cochlear implant processor will be able to hear everything.
For special instructions or assistance, contact Paula Holzband, paulamoh@gmail.com or Teri Wathen, teriwathen@sbcglobal.net.
Away From Home for the High Holy Days
If you are planning to be away from Emanu El for the holidays and want to find a Reform service, please contact Sara Astrich and she will send a High Holiday Courtesy Seating Request to a Reform congregation in the community you are visiting.
