Details on High Holidays 2026 (5787)

From our celebration of the new year to introspection that enables  us to hear that “still small voice,” we begin to set the course for the coming year. We prepare with Selichot ( the familiar melodies of High Holiday prayers for forgiveness) and at the close of  Yom Kippur, upon hearing a thunderous shofar blast at Ne’ilah, we break our fast and, with renewed focus, the work of healing a fractured world begins.

We’d love to see you at Beth El for the High Holidays! Use the menu below or simply scroll down for more information. Questions? Call the office at 978-443-9622 or email templeadmin@bethelsudbury.org.

Schedule and Service Times

» Live streaming link

Are you chanting Torah or Haftorah? Click here for audio files of the High Holidays Torah readings and Haftorah blessings.

Erev Rosh Hashanah (Friday, September 11)

  • 8:00–9:30pm — Erev Rosh Hashanah service

Rosh Hashanah, first day (Saturday, September 12)

  • 9:30–11:15am — Shacharit service
  • 11:15–12:30pm — Torah service
  • 12:45–1:30pm — Lunch
  • 1:30–3:00pm — Musaf service
  • 2:00–4:00pm —Youth and Family Rosh Hashanah at the farm in Concord (rain date: Sept. 13 at 4:00pm)

Rosh Hashanah, second day (Sunday, September 13)

  • 9:30am—12:30pm — Shacharit (morning service)
  • 1:00–2:00pm — Tashlich at Gray Conservation Area
  • 4:00–6:00pm — Rain date for youth and family program

Kol Nidre (Sunday, September 20)

  • 7:30–9:30pm

Yom Kippur (Monday, September 21)

  • 9–9:30am — Youth and Family service – Toddlers – grade 7 families
  • 9:30am–11:15pm — Shacharit service / babysitting for 0-5 and activities for K-12
  • 11:30am–12:45pm — Torah service / babysitting for 0-5 and activities for K-12
  • 1:00–2:30pm — Musaf service
  • 2:30-3:30pm — Meditative Walk with Rabbi Katy Allen
  • 3:45pm–5:15pm — Mincha service
  • 5:30–6:15pm — Yizkor service
  • 6:15–7:15pm — Ne’ilah service

Erev Sukkot and Shabbat (Friday, September 25)

  • 7:30pm

Sukkot I and Shabbat (Saturday, September 26)

  • 10:30am 

Registration and Fees

The ticket registration form is coming soon. If you’re not a Beth El member, please email office@bethelsudbury.org to get on the list to receive a link to the registration form when it becomes available.

For Families with Children and Teens

Rosh Hashanah (Tuesday, Sept. 23):

TimeActivityAges
8:30–9:00amBreakfast (optional)Toddlers – grade 7 families
2:00–4:00pmYouth and Family program at the farm in Concord (rain date: Sept. 13 at 4:00pm)All ages, with parents

Tashlich (Sunday, Sept. 13):

1:00–2:00pm
Gray Conservation Area (Sudbury)

A simple, intimate tashlich experience close to our spiritual home. After second-day Rosh Hashanah services, take a step outside to cast away whatever is weighing you down. Rabbi Josh, Cantor Vera, and Arielle Sabot will guide a short walk out to Gray Conservation Area for the annual tashlich ritual. This ritual experience is for all people, and four legged friends are welcome to join. Meet in front of Beth El after services.

Yom Kippur (Thursday, Oct. 2):

TimeActivityAges
9:00–9:30amFamily serviceToddlers – grade 7 families
9:30am–12:45pmYom Kippur children’s programK-12 (without parents) and babysitting for toddlers-PreK
2:30–3:30pmMeditative walk with Rabbi Katy Allen — take a leisurely walk to and through Gray Conservation Area with stops along the way for poetry and tefillot on themes of teshuvah and connecting with the Mystery and the more-than-human world. Time for silent meditation will be provided.Teens and adults. This walk is not suitable for people below 7th grade.

Accessibility and Accommodations

Seating/mobility in the sanctuary

  • Spaces for wheelchairs and walkers will be available. Ushers will assist to make sure families/friends will be able to sit together.
  • A specially marked section is designated as “fragrance free” during services marked by yellow signs on the end of four rows, facing the bima to the left, against the windows. In order to sit in the fragrance-free section, one should not be wearing perfume, cologne, body spray, scented hair products, deodorants and after-shave. There are people within our synagogue who have fragrance sensitivities and allergies.
  • Access to the ark is provided via a ramp.

Accessibility tools

These are located on the cart by the sanctuary doors (all items should be returned to the cart after use. Hand sanitizer is available to wipe down, if desired.

  • Magnifying reading glasses
  • Fidget/focus tools
  • Art/craft supplies for children (lower shelf)
  • Large-print High Holiday prayer books
  • Hearing assistance headphones are available from the ushers and are located in a small black case, often near the cart on a chair.
  • A binder is available to share “social” stories and prayers for young children and/or those requiring visual support.
  • A binder is available to share articles from LGBTQIA2S+ voices regarding the High Holidays.

Bathrooms

All bathrooms at Beth El are all-gender and handicap accessible.

  • There are two all-gender bathrooms located on the main hallway leading to the sanctuary. The bathroom on the right has stalls and urinals and the bathroom on the left has stalls only. Both have signage.
  • There is an all-gender, single-occupancy bathroom located on the hallway in the classroom wing of the building, as well as a private all-gender bathroom in the rabbi’s office.

Mobility access to the garden

  • The garden is accessible from the sanctuary via the door closest to the ark (right side of the windows). Congregants with mobility concerns should be encouraged to use this door. It has ramps and handrails.
  • The door leading out of the social hall (left side of windows) has a ramp but no handrails.

Access to High Holiday services outside the sanctuary

  • All services will be live-streamed.
  • A screen and sound system will be set up in the foyer.
  • There will be seating in the courtyard under a tent for those who want to view the foyer screening from outside.
  • There will be a livestream of services set up in a room to be announced where masks will be required.

Access elsewhere inside the building for other needs

  • Room 5 will be available for feeding/nursing infants. A sign will be placed on the door. The cantor has also made her office available.


Inclusion Committee:

  • Maxine Haron, co-chair (cell/text:508-361-9333)
  • Carrie Fuchs, co-chair (cell/text:978-790-6472)
  • Cat Kaner
  • Roberta Unger

Entrance and Security

Enter and exit the synagogue through the east door next to the office, where volunteer greeters will welcome you, check your registration list, and admit you to the building. Since we are using online paperless registration, attendees will pick up their name tag outside the building as their “admission ticket.” Unregistered members with name tags still have to check in inside, and guests will get hand-written name tags outside.

Prayerbooks

During Rosh Hashanah, we use Chadeish Yameinu, Beth El’s Rosh Hashanah machzor (prayerbook). This year we have created a supplement to Chadeish Yameinu with transliterations of selected sections of the services. Links to PDF versions of both of these prayerbooks are below:

A Kindle version of Mishkan Hanefesh (the prayerbook used for Yom Kippur) is available on Amazon.

Beth El members who plan to attend remotely and would like to borrow a physical copy of the prayerbooks can do so during office hours (Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 9am–5pm, Tuesday 9am–3pm, Friday 9am–noon).

Lunch

On Rosh Hashanah, small finger tuna or egg salad finger sandwiches as well as hummus and pita pockets will be available. Please fill out the lunch registration form (coming soon) if you are interested in participating. In addition to sandwiches there will be beverages, fresh fruit and chips will be served.

Volunteers Needed

Please consider volunteering as an usher, greeter, or parking director (signup link coming soon).

Food and Hygiene Product Donations

With the current cutbacks in government subsidies the need for food and other essentials is greater than ever. On our day of fasting and atonement, it’s been our tradition to bring offerings of food for those in need for local organizations. Government supplements do not cover much-needed cleaning products, personal care items such as soap, shampoo or toothpaste, and sanitary products. In September we will update the list after contacting the following organizations to assess their greatest needs.

    • Sudbury Food Pantry — Non-expired, nonperishable foods. You can also donate money online.
    • Care Pantry at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church — Personal and household hygiene and cleaning products. You can also select items to be sent from their Amazon wish list.
    • Voices Against Violence and A Place to Turn — Non-expired, nonperishable foods, as well as personal and household hygiene and cleaning products.

Yizkor list

A Yizkor book will be compiled and distributed on Yom Kippur. If you have suffered a recent loss or if the name of a deceased loved one was inadvertently omitted from last year’s Yizkor book, please provide the name and the relationship of the deceased to office@bethelsudbury.org.

Yom Kippur break fast

If you are looking to attend a break fast or are able to host additional people at your break fast, please email the office by emailing office@bethelsudbury.org.

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