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Dear Friends,
This week, when we gather in our sanctuary or together on livestream to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we will be using our brand new machzor (High Holy Days prayer book) which we have titled, Our Pathway Through the Days of Awe. This machzor was designed and created by our clergy team especially for this community, and was supported by a generous gift from the Klane Family.
Most importantly, it is grounded in the values of our Temple Israel community.
We Value Inclusivity
Throughout the machzor, each prayer is framed with an intention to allow the reader/pray-er to orient themselves to the meaning of the prayer to follow. This machzor also has transliteration for everything in Hebrew, allowing those who are less familiar with Hebrew to fully participate in our services.
Jewish Ritual Imbues our Lives with Meaning
Worship has evolved since 1978, when our previous High Holy Day machzor was first published. This project is an expression of our creativity and innovation; this book aims to stay true to the tradition we treasure, while enabling us to access and enhance today’s modern worship styles. For example, you’ll find contemporary songs to complement our ancient liturgy and iyyunim (rabbinic wisdom) throughout the prayer book. We’ve selected passages from our tradition that are meant to help us think more deeply about what it means to start anew, to connect with God, and to reconcile with one another.
Israel is Central to Jewish Life
Much more so than our prior machzor, Our Pathway brings Israel to the center of our worship services.
I’m thrilled to be sharing this labor of love with you all this week. If you are joining us via the livestream, Our Pathway will be available online at tiwestport.org/hhdprayerbook. If you would like to pick up a hard copy, they will be available here at TI tomorrow, October 1, 2024, from 9-5 by the main office.
May this book enhance these Days of Awe, and be our pathway to a better year ahead.
L’shanah Tovah,
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