P’nai Or Philadelphia High Holy Day Events 5785 – Philadelphia, PA

High Holydays at P’nai Or Philadelphia

(See our website www.pnaior-phila.org for updates)

L’Dor vaDor Nagid Godlecha: Singing Praises from Generation to Generation

The P’nai Or Philadelphia Community warmly welcomes you to our High Holyday services! Our services will be led this year by Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein, our High Holyday Rabbi, and by Rebekah Robinson, our Cantorial Leader, as well as other musical friends and congregational leaders. Join us for a gentle, heart-opening journey into the New Year.

This year is special: We are in a year of transition. P’nai Or’s beloved leader of over 30 years, Rabbi Marcia Prager, has recently retired. Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein and Rebekah Robinson are both gifted, experienced service leaders and will weave services rooted in P’nai Or traditions that will elevate us into the New Year.

We will gather in person in our spacious High Holyday room, the Fellowship Hall of Summit Presbyterian Church (Westview Street entrance near Greene Street, in West Mt. Airy, Philadelphia 19119). Our prayer space is wheelchair accessible. We invite those who are not able to join us in person to Zoom in from wherever you are (with opportunity for connection with the other Zoomers).

A note about who is welcome: Many of us carry wounds from a history of not being fully welcomed into Jewish community, whether due to class, race, sexual orientation, marital status, age, views on Israel/Palestine, disability, gender, or another form of marginalization. You are welcome here, as your full self, in your dignity. Come rest and renew and connect. Come share your perspectives. Come allow your heart to open. Come sing and dance and come sit quietly in the back. Come laugh and come cry. Come for a short time or come for the full service. You are welcome here.

A note about arriving on time: We will welcome you whenever you arrive; however, it is deeply supportive to our service leaders to arrive a few minutes before services start and to be settled in your seat for the beginning of services.

A note about bringing children: Our Erev Rosh Hashanah service (Weds, October 2, 6PM) will be appropriate for all ages and includes music, singing, dancing, and a story. Our tashlich service (Thursday, October 3, 4PM, at Saylor Grove) will also be a lovely time to be together as a family in community. Our other services are adult-oriented. We will arrange childcare if there is interest . Please contact elissayaffe@yahoo.com to discuss childcare.

* Pre-registration is required for all, whether you will be joining us in person or on Zoom. Please register early, as we will be sending out updates and teachings and opportunities to volunteer over the holidays (a wonderful way to make new friends while helping out the community)

* We warmly invite you to consider becoming a member of P’nai Or. Your membership is an investment in revitalizing vibrant Jewish renewal community in Mt Airy. You can learn more about becoming a member on the P’nai Or (literally, Faces of Light) webpage. Note that while Eventbrite is generally a place to buy “tickets”, we don’t technically sell tickets to High Holydays. We invite you, according to your capacity, to make a contribution to help us pay our rent and support our clergy team and programming. If you have the capacity to make a High Holyday contribution larger than $360, we prefer that you send us a check or make the donation through our website donation page, to save us the Eventbrite fees. Thank you for your generosity!

All times are Eastern Daylight Time.

Selichot, Saturday Sept 28

6:30PM Drum and Chant Circle (in-person and Zoom) in the Community Room/P’nai Or Space, which requires stairs) followed by Havdalah

8:00PM Selichot service and ritual Music for the High Holiday season and rituals to reflect on the year that has passed and prepare for entering the New Year (In Community Room and Zoom)

Rosh Hashanah

* Erev Rosh Hashanah Intergenerational Service, Weds, Oct 2, 6:00-7:00 pm. A musically rich gathering for the whole community: singing, candle-lighting, davvenen’, a story and apples and honey.

* Rosh HaShanah Day 1 and 2 Services, Thursday, Oct. 3 and Friday, Oct. 4, 10:00 am –2:00 pm, followed by a potluck vegetarian lunch. Meditation and chant prior to services at 9:30am.

Rosh Hashanah pages for those on Zoom

* Tashlich on Rosh HaShanah, Thursday Oct 3, 4:00 pm at a local W. Mt. Airy park Saylor Grove.

Picture of Saylor Grove

Yom Kippur

Kol Nidrei, Friday evening, October 11

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement/At-One-Ment, has the extra sweetness of Shabbat this year. Our communal journey will include opportunities for reflection and heart-opening practices, as we renew our commitment to live in right relationship with ourselves, our families, our communities, our so-called enemies, and our Mother Earth.

Plan to join us at 5:00PM on Friday evening, October 11, to prepare to enter into Yom Kippur through rituals including giving tzedakah, writing our own Al-Cheyt (I have missed the mark) prayers, and lighting candles. Our beautiful Kol Nidrei service begins promptly at 5:45PM.

Kol Nidrei pages for those on Zoom

Saturday, October 12

* Yom Kippur Day begins at 9:30AM with chant and meditation. Services will begin at 10:00am

*Yizkor ritual 4:00pm-5:00pm

*Mincha/Neila 5:00-7:00 pm, including candle-light closing chant circle followed by a sweet vegetarian potluck break-the-fast meal.

We will also be hosting celebrations for Sukkot, that begins the evening of Weds Oct 16, and Simchat Torah, Thursday evening Oct 24.