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The New Shul

Yom Kippur

Rabbi Meir of Premishlan taught that the entire message of Yom Kippur can be summed up in a single phrase from the book of Yonah, which we read on Yom Kippur afternoon: “Mah l’kha nirdam? – Why are you sleeping?” Those are the words that the captain of the ship shouted at Yonah as the ship was being tossed by the storm.

Yom Kippur is a wake-up call for all of us. At some level, we all know what our true priorities ought to be, what really matters in life. But we let ourselves be lulled to sleep by our routine, even as the ship is blown off course. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to awaken us, to remind us of what we already know. All of the rituals and symbols of the day are for that single purpose, to shake us out of our complacency so that we see our lives more clearly, and remember who we know we ought to be. May this Yom Kippur be a time of awakening for all of us, so that we can make our lives a source of blessing in the coming year.

  • Our services for Yom Kippur begin on Friday evening September 29 at 5:45 pm, and on Saturday September 30 at 8:15 am. We encourage those who would like to join us in the tradition of wearing white clothes and avoiding leather shoes on the holiday. We will blow the shofar to end the fast at a few minutes after 7 pm. After Yom Kippur, the shul will host a break-fast, open to all. Complete information on our Yom Kippur services is available here.
  • Childcare is available from 5:45 pm to 8 pm on the evening of Yom Kippur, and from 10 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm during the day. Our learning service for children is from 11 to 11:45 am.
  • Sukkot begins on Wednesday evening October 4. Our services for the first two days of Sukkot are on Thursday October 5 and Friday October 6 beginning at 9 am.
  • Our service for Sh’mini Atzeret, Thursday October 12, begins at 9 am.
  • Join us for hakafot and dancing on the evening of Simhat Torah, Thursday October 12 at 7 pm. Our service for the morning of Simhat Torah, Friday October 13, begins at 9 am.
  • Shabbat services at The New Shul are on Friday evenings at 6 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon.