Belonging. Connection. Memory. An accounting of the soul.
This year the month of Elul begins at sundown on Saturday, August 23. As we begin to prepare for the high holidays and appreciate now more than ever how the rituals have sustained the Jewish people during troubling times for millennia. Setting aside time to reflect on the past year, identifying opportunities for personal growth, asking for forgiveness and granting it to others are but a few steps in our journey through the Days of Awe. Gathering in community and immersing ourselves in the teachings of Torah provides a guide to help us create a shared vision for a more equitable, inclusive and peaceful world. Through study, prayer, and engaging in the sacred work of tikkun olam we seek to bring about shalom.
From our celebration of the new year to introspection that enables you to hear that “still small voice,” we begin to set the course for the coming year. We prepare with Selichot (Rosh Hashanah communal songs and prayers for forgiveness) and on 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.
Are you chanting Torah or Haftorah? Click here for audio files of the High Holidays Torah readings and Haftorah blessings.
— Break —
We'd love to see you at Beth El during the High Holidays (or any time, for that matter!). Both members and nonmembers must register in advance. Fees are listed below. Questions? Call 978-443-9622 or email templeadmin@bethelsudbury.org.
Services are free for:
Fees for other relatives and guests of Beth El members as well as the community at large are:
There is an aggregate maximum of $720 per member household. Nonmembers who join Beth El within six months after Yom Kippur will have their attendance fees applied to dues.
Attendance at services is free for Beth El members and some others — click the plus-sign below for details on fees and eligibility. Both members and nonmembers must register in advance — please fill out this High Holidays Registration Form to tell us who’s coming. There is a maximum total of $720 per member household. Nonmembers who join Beth El within six months after Yom Kippur will have their attendance fees applied to dues. Questions? Call 978-443-9622 or email templeadmin@bethelsudbury.org.
We'd love to see you at Beth El during the High Holidays (or any time, for that matter!). Both members and nonmembers must register in advance. Fees are listed below. Questions? Call 978-443-9622 or email templeadmin@bethelsudbury.org.
Services are free for:
Fees for other relatives and guests of Beth El members as well as the community at large are:
There is an aggregate maximum of $720 per member household. Nonmembers who join Beth El within six months after Yom Kippur will have their attendance fees applied to dues.
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 nametags still have to check in inside, and guests will get hand-written nametags outside.
| Time | Activity | Ages |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30–9:00am | Breakfast (optional) | Toddlers – grade 7 families |
| 9:00–9:30am | Family service | Toddlers – grade 7 families |
| 9:45–11:15am | Outdoor program led by Rabbi Katy Allen and Arielle Sabot (there will be an indoor alternative) | Toddlers – grade 7 families invited. Parents can also place young children with sitters and attend the main services. |
| 9:45am–12:45pm | Teen programming | Grades 8-12 |
| 11:15am–12:45pm | Rosh Hashanah children’s program | K-7 (without parents) / babysitting for toddlers-PreK |
| 12:45pm | Lunch | All ages |
* Outdoor family program for Shacharit (9:45–11:15am)
Join Rabbi Katy Allen for a family-friendly walk through Grey Reservation with stops along the way to explore themes of the birthday of the world. Enjoy a bit of poetry and text, discussion around themes of personal change in the context of the more-than-human world, and some time to share the meaning of the holiday within your family or other small group, and hear the sound of the shofar. This walk is geared for families with school age children but is open to and appropriate for all ages. We will meet in the parking lot and walk to the conservation area together at 9:45. The walk will take place in good weather or light rain; if weather is especially bad, meet in the Kolel.
Sunday, September 28 from 10:30-11:30am
Nobscot Scout Reservation (1 Nobscot Rd, Sudbury)
During tashlich (“cast off”), we will throw pieces of bread into a natural body of water. This quirky and interactive ancient ritual is a key moment in the Jewish year. We turn inward and consider our own shortcomings from the year. Each morsel might represent a specific aspect of self-improvement. Rather than a loud confessional, we simply cast them into the water to float away but not immediately disappear. Join us for some song, contemplation, and outdoor autumnal fun!
| Time | Activity | Ages |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:30am | Family service | Toddlers – grade 7 families |
| 9:45–11:15am | Outdoor program led by Rabbi Katy Allen and Arielle Sabot (there will be an indoor alternative) | Toddlers – grade 7 families invited. Parents can also place young children with sitters and attend the main services. |
| 9:45am–12:45pm | Teen programming | Grades 8-12 |
| 11:15am–12:45pm | Yom Kippur children’s program | K-7 (without parents) / babysitting for toddlers-PreK |
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.
All bathrooms at Beth El are all-gender and handicap accessible.
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:
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).
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 if you are interested in participating. In addition to sandwiches there will be beverages, fresh fruit and chips will be served.
Please consider volunteering as an usher, greeter, or parking director (signup link coming soon).
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. Here are requested items from these organizations:
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.
If you are looking to attend a break fast or are able to host additional people at your break fast, please contact the office by emailing secretary@bethelsudbury.org.
105 Hudson Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
(978) 443-9622|Email Us
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