High Holy Days - 2008/5769 Schedule

Temple Chai's High Holy Day worship begins with Slichot ("Forgiveness"), which we observe with dinner followed by study and a late evening worship service to help us focus our minds and hearts on the meaning of the High Holy Days.

For morning worship on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we offer two different worship experiences. At one service, we use the Gates of Repentence machzor (High Holy Day prayer book) with music leadership from Cantor Simon and our High Holy Day choir. This service, located in the temple sanctuary, features more traditional musical selections and a more formal sermon from our rabbi.

For our other High Holy Day morning worship service, held at Kingswood United Methodist Church, we use a machzor created by the Temple Chai clergy with music leadership from Lori Lippitz of Chicago's Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. This is a more family-friendly service which includes participatory musical selections and a less formal sermon from the rabbi. Each of our rabbis will lead one service on Rosh Hashana and the other on Yom Kippur, so that each congregant will be able to worship with both of our rabbis during High Holy Day morning services.

Our evening and afternoon services during the High Holy Days are led by all three members of our clergy and our High Holy Day choir in the temple sanctuary. 

Other Holidays and Festivals

        


We celebrate Sukkot by sharing dinner together and decorating our Sukkah (festival booth) as a community. On Simchat Torah (rejoicing with Torah), we celebrate the end of the Torah reading cycle with dancing and caramel apples.

Our Purim celebration includes a Megillah (Ester scroll) reading and "Purim Shpiel" (play) written by Cantor Simon, based on ideas creatively developed by our staff. In past years, we've had Purim shpiels based on Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, Grease and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Our annual Purim carnival, organized and operated by our Youth Group, is always popular and well attended.

During Pesach (Passover), we study and worship with other congregations in the community. Shavuot (Festival of Weeks) is observed with a dairy dinner and activities for members of all ages as we celebrate receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai.