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The Jewish community in the Tri-Valley will usher in the new year beginning this week with observances for the high holidays this month.
Rosh Hashanah, which will take place from the evening of Friday (Sept. 11) to Sunday (Sept. 13), kicks off the year 5787 on the Jewish calendar. The high holidays later culminate in Yom Kippur (Sept. 20-21).
In celebration of Rosh Hashanah, Jews will pray for peace, healing and renewed hope, according to officials at Pleasanton-based Reform synagogue Congregation Beth Emek.
The new year is marked with the blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn, symbolizing spiritual awakening and the beginning of a new year of reflection and responsibility, Congregation Beth Emek officials explained.
“We long for better days,” Congregation Beth Emek Rabbi Dr. Laurence Milder said in a statement. “The past year has weighed heavily on many of us. We want an end to war, peace in the Middle East, and a gentler, more respectful way of engaging one another.”
Worship services at Congregation Beth Emek are scheduled for Friday evening and the mornings of Saturday, Sunday and Sept. 20-21.
The services are set to include Hebrew and English prayers, poetry, songs and reading of the Torah.
“This year, Rosh Hashanah coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11,” Milder said. “America was forever changed by that day. We hope our prayers honor those memories, while inspiring a future of greater compassion and understanding.”
To register for in-person services, visit the Congregation Beth Emek website at www.bethemek.org. Services will also be livestreamed.
Also in Pleasanton, Chabad of the Tri-Valley is scheduled to host services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The services will be conducted in Hebrew and English, according to Chabad’s website.
For Rosh Hashanah, observances will be held Friday through Sunday. Yom Kippur services are set for Sept. 20-21.
Children’s programming, youth services and childcare will be available, according to Chabad’s website.
No membership or affiliation is required to attend the services, but donations are encouraged, according to Chabad. Reservations are available online at www.jewishtrivalley.com.Â
Tri-Valley Cultural Jews, a Secular Humanist community, will also be hosting its annual Rosh Hashanah celebration on Saturday (Sept. 12). Scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. in Livermore, the one-hour program is set to include music and readings in English, followed by a potluck.
The family-friendly program is rooted in Secular Humanistic Jewish values and it offers thoughtful reflections on renewal, community and cultural identity, officials said in a statement.
On Sunday (Sept. 20), Tri-Valley Cultural Jews is set to host a program for Kol Nidre, the beginning of Yom Kippur, with music, readings and reflections.
The program is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and it is meant to explore themes of Yom Kippur such as introspection, accountability and community from a humanistic Jewish perspective, according to Tri-Valley Cultural Jews.
“TVCJ is proud to create inclusive, meaningful Jewish celebrations that reflect diverse Jewish and multicultural backgrounds,” community officials said. “People of all gender identities, sexual orientations, and family structures are welcome and celebrated.”
Reservations are required by email CulturalJews@gmail.com or phone at 925-399-8029. A $25 donation per non-member adult is suggested.
In the San Ramon Valley, Reform Jewish congregation Beth Chaim Congregation is set to host services with prayer and music for the holidays as well.
“The High Holy Days invite Jews to reflect on the year that has passed, reconnect with one another, and consider how to enter the new year with greater purpose, gratitude and hope,” Beth Chaim Congregation officials said in a statement announcing its observations of the High Holy Days. “At Beth Chaim, the season is also a celebration of Jewish community and belonging.”
The Reform Jewish congregation intends to introduce Mishkan HaNefesh, the Reform Movement’s contemporary High Holy Day prayer book, officials said.
For more information about upcoming services, visit the Beth Chaim Congregation website at bethchaim.com.
At Chabad of Danville & S. Ramon, Rosh Hashanah services are set to feature shofar blowing, traditional melodies, singing, holiday sermons, bilingual prayer books with contemporary explanations and a festive community meal.
The services are free and open to all, regardless of affiliation with the synagogue.
“In these times, it’s more important than ever for our community to come together and celebrate our traditions with pride and confidence,” Rabbi Shmuli Raitman, director of Chabad of Danville & S. Ramon, said in a statement. “As families choose to stand together and welcome the new year, we resolve that this year will be one of increased strength and unity.”
For more information about its upcoming services and to reserve a space, visit www.jewishdanville.com.
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