High Holy Days at Beth Emek

High Holy Day 2007 (5767/5768) Service Schedule

High Holy Day Ticket Reservations
Information about making reservations for the 2007 (5767/5768) upcoming High Holy Day services.

Meet Nicole Greninger our soon-to-be Rabbinic Intern
Brian Johnson has written a wonderful article introducing us to our soon-to-be Rabbinic Intern.

Come Blow Your...Shofar!
Beth Emek will be hosting a Shofar Social on Sunday, September 2nd from 10:00a - Noon. Learn how to make a shofar, why we blow a shofar, what the sound of a shofar means, how to blow a shofar, what makes a shofar kosher (or not), and even why a shofar smells the way it smells. This is your chance to try blowing a shofar. Bring your own shofar or borrow one of ours. And if you want to blow in synagogue during the High Holy Days, this is your chance to audition for the part. Click the link above for all the information on this great event!

School Absences During the High Holy Days
Did you know that your child’s absence from school to observe the Jewish holidays is a legally excused absence? A child’s absence from school on a religious holiday is an excused absence, without penalty to scholastic or attendance records. Parents and students have the responsibility of notifying teachers well in advance when an absence will occur due to a religious holiday. In return, schools should make reasonable accommodations for the students to make up missed work. Below is an example of a letter that can be used to notify teachers and coaches about the upcoming Holy Days. Here is a sample letter you can send to your child's teachers.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Please read this document to become familiar with Congregation Beth Emek's High Holy Day worship.

High Holy Day Minhagim
Please read this document for Beth Emek's customs and guidelines for worship at the High Holy Days.

High Holy Day Parashot Audio
Listen to Rabbi Winer chant the High Holy Day parashot portions.

Yiskor Book
As we approach Yom Kippor, the staff at Congregation Beth Emek is starting the production of our Yiskor Book. Your loved one's name will be included in the Yiskor Book...

... if the name appeared last year or

... If the name was added to Congregation Beth Emek's yartzheit list during the year since last Yom Kippur.

If you need to add names, please send an email to bethemek@bethemek.org with a subject line that starts with "Yiskor Book:". If you'd like to mail in your names, please send your letters to Yiskor Book, Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton, CA 94566.

After September 7, 2007, no new names can be added to the Yiskor Book due to production and printing.

Erev Rosh Hashanah Oneg
If you are attending late services on erev Rosh Hashanah and would like to help with that evening's oneg, please contact Lizzy Jacobsen.

Vocabulary
In addition to the information in the FAQ, here are some definitions to words and phrases you may hear at the High Holy Days.

Rosh Hashanah Vocabulary

Rosh Hashanah - Literally: the "head of the year"; the New Year.

High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Also known as the "High
Holidays" or "the Holidays".

Shofar - Ram's horn.

Chet - Literally: "missing the mark"; a Hebrew term for sin.

Teshuvah - Literally: "returning"; a Hebrew term for repentance.

Selichot - Penitential prayers.

Tashlich - Traditional ceremony in which individuals symbolically cast their
sins into a body of water.

L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu - New Year greeting meaning "May you be inscribed
(in the Book of Life) for a good year," sometimes shortened to "Shanah
Tovah".

Yom Tov - Literally: "a good day". The term has come to mean "holiday". It
is often pronounced Yuntiff and the standard holiday greeting is "Good
Yuntiff".

Gemar Chatimah Tovah - Literally: "May you finally be inscribed (in the Book
of Life) for good". After Rosh Hashanah and through Yom Kippur, this
greeting is used.

Machzor - High Holy Day prayer book.

Yom Kippur Vocabulary

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement.

Shabbat Shuvah - Sabbath of Return, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It gets its name from its haftarah which begins "Shuvah Yisrael, Return, O Israel" (Hosea 14:2).

Kol Nidrei - Literally: all vows. Opening prayer for Yom Kippur eve.

Yizkor - Memorial service recited on Yom Kippur, as well as the last days of Sukot, Pesach, and Shavuot.

Yahrzheit Candle - Memorial candle lit on the anniversary of a loved one's death and also on those days when Yizkor is recited.

More definitions from the URJ.