High Holy Days Worship

Saturday, September 28

Service 9:00 p.m. 

Selichot begins the journey toward the unique beauty of High Holy Days to focus our minds on penitence and preparation. Our beautiful service will begin at 9:00 p.m. in the Proler Chapel.

The Jewish new year ushers in a spiritual awakening to possibility and potential. A variety of services are available.

Wednesday, October 2

• High Holy Days Kick-Off Reception, 5:00 p.m.
  Gather with friends and loved ones before services to celebrate the New Year together over refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.
• Rosh HaShanah Unplugged, 6:00 p.m.
  This innovative service features a joyful, creative, contemporary prayer experience, suitable for all ages, with unique musical additions to encourage singing and participation.
  Sermon by Rabbi Hayon: Black and White and Read All Over

Thursday, October 3

• Children’s Service, 9:00 a.m. 
  Designed for children 8 and under and their families, this lively and fun service highlights the themes and rituals of the holiday.
• Rosh HaShanah Morning Family Reception, immediately following our Children’s Service
  Join us for a sweet treat and chance to greet friends at the family reception immediate following the Rosh HaShanah children’s service.
• Morning Service, 10:30 a.m.
  This intergenerational service combines familiar music and prayers with beautiful liturgical writing and stirring poetry, along with full translation and transliteration of Hebrew texts. You’ll also experience an inspiring and engaging collection of music led by Cantor Simmons, with accompaniment on organ and piano.
  Sermon by Rabbi Fixler: Sacred Fire
  • 3rd through 5th grade students are invited to pray with their parents for the first half of the service, then they will be led by our Helfman Religious School staff into their own separate High Holy Day celebration with fun and engaging activities. Pre-registration required.
    

Thursday, October 3, immediately following our 10:30 a.m. Rosh HaShanah morning service

Friday, October 4, 6:00 p.m.

Hear a message of inspiration to deepen your spiritual and moral explorations on this very special Shabbat between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Our guest speaker will be congregant Bobbi Samuels. Click here to read about Bobbi Samuels.

Sunday, October 6, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Nature Discovery Center, 7112 Newcastle

To complement our High Holy Days Children’s Services, families with children in 2nd grade or younger are invited to join Emanu El clergy and staff for an in-person outdoor experience featuring PJ Library Story Walk™.

We will be gathering at the Nature Discovery Center in Bellaire for this very special event. Arrive at your convenience to enjoy a guided walk with activities, an apples and honey snack, and more! This program is free of charge and open to the community; however, space is limited and advance registration is required.

Sunday, October 6, 5:00 p.m.
Emanu El Memorial Park, 8431 Bissonnet St.

We invite all to join together in the beautiful, serene surroundings of Emanu El Memorial Park to remember their dear ones during the High Holy Days season.

These services, on the holiest night of the year, will feature the contemplative prayers and stirring music unique to this holiday. They will be accompanied by Ann Frohbieter on organ and our professional choir.

Friday, October 11

• Kol Nidre Service, 7:30 p.m., Barish Sanctuary (in person with streaming options)
  Sermon by Rabbi Hayon
  This service, on the holiest night of the year, will feature the contemplative prayers and stirring music unique to this holiday. They will be accompanied by Ann Frohbieter on organ and our professional choir and include the poignant setting of Kol Nidre played by Brinton Smith, Principal Cellist of the Houston Symphony.

Saturday, October 12

• Children’s Service, 9:00 a.m., Barish Sanctuary (in person with streaming options)
  Led by our clergy
  Designed for children 8 and under and their families, this service offers engaging music, prayers, and stories that will encourage families to reflect on how we can be our best selves.
• Morning Service, 10:30 a.m., Barish Sanctuary (in person with streaming options)
  Sermon by Rabbi Silk
  This service will be led by our clergy, accompanied by Ann Frohbeiter on organ and our professional choir. Through stirring music and meaningful prayer, we will reflect on the themes of repentance and forgiveness.
  • 3rd through 5th grade students are invited to pray with their parents for the first half of the service, then they will be led to a unique, age-appropriate Torah experience facilitated by our teen leaders and Helfman staff. Pre-registration required. Click here to register.
• Afternoon Experience
  Enhance your Yom Kippur experience with afternoon options
  12:30 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
  • And the Youth Shall See Visions: Israel Through Our Eyes
    We’ll hear the voices of our teens and young adults as they share their diverse perspectives about Israel and this moment for American Jews. Join us to learn from our young members about their experiences on this summer’s Shirley Barish Memorial Israel Experience, at their college campuses, and more. Musical and artistic representations will be interspersed with their remarks.

• 1:45 p.m. – 2:35 p.m.
  • Let’s Discuss: Small Group Conversations About Israel, Rabbi Silk
    Join Rabbi Silk and other facilitators in small group conversations about Israel. Share your thoughts about the current state of affairs in Israel though the lens of caring, compassion and our Jewish values.
  • I Said I’m Sorry… Now What? Self Reflection Through Art, Jennifer Pittsford
    Join us in a relaxed, welcoming space as Houston-based artist Jennifer Pittsford guides us on an artistic journey using mixed media. We will explore what starting fresh in this new year can look like and imagine how to pursue being our best selves. No art experience is necessary. All ages welcome. This session continues in Block 2. Registration for this session is requested, as space is limited. Click here to register.
  • Write Your Personal Mission Statement, Anna Shabtay
    Take time at the beginning of 5785 to create your personal mission statement to help define the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines to guide you to the being the best version of you. Writing encouraged but not required.
  • Meditation, Ann Friedman
    Experience a guided journey of mindfulness, utilizing the themes of the Days of Awe.
•  2:45 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.
  • Joining the Conversation: Repair and Return, Rabbi Oren Hayon
    For more than two millennia, Jews have studied the Torah in community, generating lively debates in our search for meaning and relevance. Together, we will study forgiveness, one of the central themes of our High Holy Days, through the lens of text and tradition.
  • Emanu El Votes Forum- Engage with Democracy: A Vital Conversation on Voting
    Join us for a powerful session as three expert speakers dive into the critical issues shaping this year’s November 5th election.
    Oni Blair, Executive Director of ACLU of Texas, will explore the crucial connection between voting and the health of our democracy. As we prepare to cast our ballots, it’s important to reflect on why we vote, the barriers some communities face, and how voter participation shapes key issues in Texas.
    Kyle Cummins, Outreach Community Coordinator for the Harris County Clerk’s office, will break down the Top 10 things you need to know about voting in Harris County this year.
    Bob Stein, Professor of Political Science at Rice University, will tackle “Free and Fair Elections: Voter Confidence and Election Laws,” examining the roots of declining trust in U.S. elections and the efforts to restore it.
  • Musical Contemplation
    A string quartet of Shepherd School musicians will create space for personal contemplation and meditation on the themes of the holiday.

• Healing & Wholeness, 3:45 p.m.
  Find restoration and strength through poetry, song and prayer.
• Eileh Ezk’rah, These I Remember: Marking a Year Since October 7, 4:45 p.m.
  A brief service of literature, poetry, and music of lament that invites us to mourn the loss of life and commemorate the tragic events of October 7 and the year that followed.
• Yizkor & N’ilah, 5:00 p.m.
  We will bring our holidays to a close with an opportunity to honor and remember our dear ones, the sweetness of Havdalah, and the separation between the penitential season and the promising new year ahead.
• Break the Fast, 6:45 p.m.
  We will bring our holidays to a close by breaking the fast together.

Emanu El is excited to announce that we will be using digital passes for High Holy Days services this year. On Monday, September 9, all adult members in good standing were emailed a digital pass which may be used for all holidays and services. This email came from orders@simpletix.com. You can print your pass at home or simply save it on your phone to be scanned when you arrive at the building for services. Passes will be scanned before you can enter the building. Your name is on your pass, and passes are NOT transferrable.

We accept passes from other congregations and also welcome military personnel, college students with ID, and out-of-town hospital patients along with their families. Additionally, we offer reciprocity passes to members in good standing at other congregations (more info below).

We also welcome members of the community who have moved to Houston since last High Holy Days. Please ask them to contact Anna Shabtay at 713.529.5771, ext. 261 or annas@emanuelhouston.org to arrange for newcomer passes.

As always, finances are never a barrier to membership at Emanu El, and guest pass options are also available for non-members. If you would like more information about these options, contact Anna Shabtay at 713.529.5771, ext. 261 or annas@emanuehouston.org.

Will you be out of town for Rosh HaShanah and/or Yom Kippur? If you are planning to worship at a congregation near your travel destination, you may be eligible for reciprocity. Through our affiliation with the Union for Reform Judaism, our congregation enjoys reciprocity with hundreds of Reform synagogues nationally. The form to request reciprocity is available by clicking here. Please fill out the form to the best of your ability to help not only your Emanu El team but those at your destination synagogue.

Please remember to bring your cell phones or your printed digital passes! Only individuals with High Holy Days passes will be permitted entry to the Emanu El campus. Parking on Floors 1 and 2 of the Gaylor Parking Facility will be reserved for handicap-accessible use. Because there is limited garage parking, we encourage you to park offsite. Buses will run continually between satellite parking and Emanu El.

Parking for Erev Rosh HaShanah will be at the Medical Clinic at 1701 Sunset Blvd. The parking garage entrance is located on Rice Blvd.

For Rosh HaShanah morning, parking is at Rice University. Rice University is located at 6100 Main St, and available parking is in the South Stadium Lot & Greenbriar Lot.

• Click here for a map of Rice University parking for Rosh HaShanah morning.

For those attending our Tashlich service, we encourage you to ride the shuttle bus to the Bill Coats Bridge, where parking is limited. Shuttles to the bridge will load outside of the Sunset doors and will drop you off at the Rice Parking lot after Tashlich.

For Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur Day, parking will be at the Medical Clinic at 1701 Sunset Blvd. The parking garage entrance is located on Rice Blvd.

Emanu El is subsidizing Uber by $5 on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur for worshipers who live within 25 miles of the synagogue.

Click the link below or scan the QR code to access the voucher and enter the promo code.

Click here for the link.
Enter the promo code: rEXkSK1rcxU

Childcare for children ages 15 months to 8 years is available during both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur morning services. Registration in advance MUST be received in order to prepare for the appropriate number of caregivers. The cost is $10 per child, per service. A light snack will be provided; however, children with allergies are encouraged to bring their own snacks.

The deadline to register for childcare is Friday, September 27.

Click here to register for childcare.

For wheelchair or disability accessibility, please contact Christian Simmons at 713.529.5771, ext. 262 or christians@emanuelhouston.org.

The only reserved seats during the High Holy Days are for those that request this access ahead of time. When contacting Christian, please include the services you plan to attend. Those requesting accessible seating may be granted a maximum of four additional seats for family members. Please note this seating will be released 15 minutes prior to the beginning of services.

The deadline to request accessibility seating is for Rosh HaShanah is Tuesday, September 24.

As we join together in sacred community from our homes, there are a variety of ways to follow along in Mishkan HaNefesh, the machzor or High Holy Days prayer book of the Reform Movement. We will be sharing the words of our prayer book on your screen during services, and you can follow along with these resources available to you at CCAR’s website.

To ensure those who are hard of hearing can enjoy and participate in our beautiful High Holy Days services, we will be providing closed captioning for all Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services in the Barish Sanctuary except for the children’s services. For those watching remotely, scroll down to “Virtual Services” to access the link for captioning during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services.

The Barish Sanctuary is equipped with an Induction Loop System which transmits audio signals directly to one’s telecoil (T-coil)-equipped hearing aid.

Congregation Emanu El’s longstanding commitment to fighting hunger is made possible this year by contributions to the High Holy Days Hunger Fund Appeal for the benefit of the Edward Wayne Hunger Fund. Donations to the appeal will support emergency food needs in the Houston area, our partners in the community helping to fight hunger, and our ongoing projects with SEARCH Homeless Services and Kids’ Meals.

Click here to make your contribution to the Hunger Fund online. You may also give by check payable to Congregation Emanu El (memo: High Holy Day Hunger Fund)

We kindly ask that no dedications be made for this appeal.

There are a variety of options to access the streaming video of each of our special and beautiful services.

• Emanu El Streaming Video
• Facebook
• YouTube

For those watching remotely, we intend to use the StreamText platform for a second straight year.

Click here to access captioning for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services.