A Comprehensive Guide to Yom Kippur 5781
 
Dear Friends,
 
This email is intended to serve as your comprehensive guide to Yom Kippur this year. You will find links to important documents that will be continually updated as Yom Kippur approaches. We’ve been working overtime to make sure that our Yamim Noraim will be as meaningful as possible, whether or not you will be with us at or near The Jewish Center. 
 
For those of you who will not be in shul on Yom Kippur, we have prepared a complete holiday calendar as well as a Machzor companion that will guide you as you daven at home. Prior to Yom Kippur, on Sunday, September 27th at 4pm, we will hold a special service on Zoom that will include Kol Nidrei and Yizkor. 
 
For those of you will be in shul on Yom Kippur, I encourage you to review our Covid guidelines and general security information. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy. When everyone is on the same page, it’s much easier to achieve this goal. Please remember that we are asking members to bring their own masks, machzorim, tallitot, etc. If you would like to borrow a machzor from The Jewish Center, please let us know by completing our online form.
 
As you know, our services this year will be held in multiple locations at staggered times. Please note that in order to accommodate as many people as possible, some locations will be used for successive services. This means that many of us will be asked to daven at a given service earlier or later than the time to which we are accustomed. We have tried to democratize the sacrifices we are making. If someone has been seated at a service that begins Kol Nidrei at a later-than-usual time, for instance, that service will begin Neilah at the standard time and vice versa. We are counting on your cooperation to make it all work.
 
We now have a waiting list for seats. If you have made a reservation but will not be attending, please let the office know as soon as possible. You will receive your seating confirmation by email only on Wednesday, September 23rd. If for any reason you do not receive it, please let us know. We kindly ask that you print your confirmation email as it will serve as your ticket. (For help printing your tickets, please contact the office.) So that we can start punctually and to minimize crowding at the entrance, please make every effort to arrive on time. 
 
While we will not have youth groups this year, this Yom Kippur will be an opportunity for children to daven alongside their parents. Children ages 10 and up have been seated with their parents in most of our minyanim. For those with school-aged children, we have made our gym minyan available to your family. In all cases, we kindly request that both adults and children remain in their seats throughout the service.  
 
In the event that rain is forecast, we will provide guidance in advance for contingency plans for those registered for services in one of our outdoor locations.  
 
As you know, our Tefillah this year will be abridged. We have prepared a guide to our Yom Kippur Services at The Jewish Center which we hope you will find helpful.
 
We are pleased to share a number of additional resources which we hope will enhance your Yom Kippur:
 
 
Finally, allow me to conclude with a reminder about our Yom Kippur Appeal. We recognize that these are extraordinary times. Our lives have been upended. Through it all, The Jewish Center has been and remains a source of constancy and vibrancy for our community. As you can imagine, our tenants have been struggling to pay their rent; income generated by the rental of our facility is down; and members have left the city – either temporarily or permanently. Though we have slashed our expenses, our budget is still tight. So that our Center can continue to provide all that it does, please contribute generously. With your help, we will make it to the other side of this pandemic. Let’s be sure the institutions upon which rely are strong and vibrant when we get there.
 
With warmest regards,
 
Yosie Levine
Rabbi
 
 
Upcoming Events and Programs
 
Please join Rabbi Levine daily at 8:30am for five minutes of learning.
 
Tuesday, Sep 22nd 8:00pm to 9:00pm 
 
Wednesday, Sep 23rd 8:00pm to 9:00pm
Join Rabbi Elie Buechler and Chazzan Jonathan Green on Zoom as they illuminate the texts and tunes of our Yom Kippur liturgy. 

Thursday, September 24th at 8:00PM
Please join me in advance of a Shabbat Shuvah like no other. My topic this year is Out of Control? What’s in Our Wheelhouse and What is Not.

Sunday, September 27th at 4:00PM
 
Join our new JC WhatsApp group:
Here we will share reminders about upcoming programming and events. https://chat.whatsapp.com/LHRdougPFwxC6JDOH9MiOd 

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