High Holidays Start Page

Please read all the information in the letter below before proceeding via the following links.

Registration - Registration for tickets for the High Holy Days is now closed. Contact the office at (201) 833-2620 or abby@cbsteanck.org with any questions.

Additional Registrations:
One Ask 2021 Donation form - click here
Yizkor Book 5782 form - click here
Lulav and Etrog form - click here

Dear Beth Sholom community,

We are excited that the situation with COVID-19 in Bergen County is improving so rapidly. Many members of our community are vaccinated, and we are in the process of shifting more of our programs back to an in-person mode. As we plan for the High Holy Days, we will continue to consider the different needs of our diverse community. 

Please read this entire email in detail as it contains important information for the High Holy Days (HHD) of 2021.  The High Holy Days are on the following dates:

     Rosh HaShanah
          Monday evening - September 6, 2021
          Tuesday - September 7, 2021
          Wednesday - September 8, 2021

     Yom Kippur
          Wednesday evening - September 15, 2021
          Thursday - September 16, 2021

Registration Process
This year, we will be offering 5 options for High Holy Day services. Registration will begin on Thursday, July 8, at 11 am EDT and will remain open until Thursday, July 22, at 6 pm EDT.  Due to limited capacity, please think carefully about the number of seats you will actually need.

This registration process is for the following services: both mornings of Rosh HaShanah, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur morning, and Ne'ilah (please note that the Family Service will not be meeting for Ne’ilah). Information about other services (e.g. Erev Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur minhah etc.) will be provided later in the summer.

Like last year, there will be no fee for participating in our High Holy Day services in person or by livestream. That being said, we ask all of our members to please make sure they are current with their 2021 account balance when they register for tickets.  If you need to discuss issues of outstanding payments, please send an email to June Pearlman (pearlmanjune@yahoo.com), our financial secretary, and Marc Melzer (mmelzer@gmail.com), our treasurer.

Service Options 
     - Children and adults are welcome at all of our services.
     - Anyone over the age of 2 who is not fully vaccinated must wear a mask while inside the building.
     - The Sanctuary and the Auditorium services will each have a section where physical distancing is practiced and masks are required.  While anyone is welcome to request seats in these sections, those who are not fully vaccinated must choose this option during the registration process.

Sanctuary Service (In-person, Indoors)
This service will be held in the sanctuary and led by Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky and Cantor Ronit Wolff Hanan.  The service will be livestreamed and will be slightly abridged. 

Auditorium Service (In-person, Indoors)
This service will be held in the auditorium and led by members of the congregation (Benjamin Mann, Zoe Avery Grossman, Debbi Bohnen, and Adam Wall). This service will not be livestreamed or abridged.

Family Service (In-person, Outdoors)
This service will be held in the Beth Sholom parking lot under the canopy and will be geared toward families with children in 5th grade and younger (although older siblings are, of course, welcome), using a variety of educational modalities to meet the needs of both the parents and their children. This service will be led by a professional Jewish High Holy Day leader. Please note that this service will not meet for Ne’ilah.  If you register for the Family Service and would also like additional seats in one of the other services, you will have this opportunity during the registration process. 

Outdoor Service for Adults (In-person, Outdoors)
If we have a critical mass of people who wish to attend an outdoor adult service, we will facilitate this service under a canopy in the parking lot of the Christ Episcopal Church on Warwick Avenue.  If you select this option during the registration process, you will be asked to indicate an alternate choice in the event that this service does not take place.

Participate via Livestream (Not in person)
The Sanctuary service will be livestreamed for individuals and families to participate remotely. The service will be led by Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky and Cantor Ronit Wolff Hanan and will be slightly abridged. Livestream participants will have machzorim (prayer books) made available prior to the High Holy Days.

Whichever location you select, you are certain to find the services meaningful and dignified!  Please  CLICK HERE to see a list and listen to melodies that will be used in the various services during the High Holidays!

More Information
Seating
We do not know yet whether we will be assigning seats in the various minyanim.  This decision will be made once we know how many people plan to attend each service.

Shofar
In addition to the shofar blowing that will take place at the in-person services, we will also offer a shofar blowing each morning of Rosh HaShanah following the conclusion of the Sanctuary service. This shofar blowing will take place outside the CBS building on Rugby Road.

Seats for Family Members of Congregants and Non-Members
We will do our absolute best to accommodate your requests for HHD seats for family and friends, but we hope you understand that seating is limited in all of our services. Our priority in giving out seats is for family members who live with you, followed by family who do not live in your home, followed by non-members who are related to members. Please sign up for all of the people you hope to have seats for. At this time we cannot promise seats for all of them; we will do our best to accommodate your requests. 

Yizkor
The Yizkor service will take place at all services on Yom Kippur morning, with the exception of the Family Service. If you are interested in participating in an in-person service for Yizkor only, information will follow.

We look forward to celebrating the upcoming High Holy Days together. If you have any questions, please contact the CBS office at 201-833-2620 or email Abby Finkel, Synagogue Administrator, at abby@cbsteaneck.org.

Leah Nadich Meir, CBS President
Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky