High Holy Days

Each year the Pardes Hannah community selects a theme to guide us through the Yamim Nora’im (Days of Awe). Community members reflect on this theme, and at various points during the services, share some way its key concepts have resonated in their lives. It is one of the ways that we, as a community, do heshbon nefesh (spiritual account-taking) for the year past, while opening up new personal and communal “heart-space” for the year that is a-borning.

This year

5579/2018

This year has been a particularly challenging year in the political and global realms, and community members felt strongly that we should explore how to create deeper connections rather than focusing on what divides us from each other. Therefore, in addition to the traditional themes of turning and renewal, we will focus this year on the theme of forgiveness.

Rabbi Ginsburg will lead services on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah, Monday, September, 10 from 9:15 am to 1:30 pm at St. Aidans Church on 1679 Broadway in Ann Arbor. This will be a traditional Jewish Renewal service with prayer, blowing of the Shofar, and Kiddush. Second day Rosh Hashanah service is a Meditation Service, Tuesday, September 11 from 9:30 am to 1 pm at St. Aidans followed by a Kiddush, potluck lunch and tashlich at the home of Lucinda Kurtz and Oran Hesterman.

On Sunday, September 16, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, Lucinda Kurtz will be teaching the first of three classes on “The Practice of Forgiveness.” Contact her directly for more information at Lucinda@lucindakurtz.com.

On Tuesday, September 18, Kol Nidrei preparations will commence at 6:45 pm and services and candle lighting will begin at 7:20 pm at St. Aidans Church. On Wednesday, September 19, Yom Kippur Day services will begin at 9:00 am with Walking Meditation at 2:30 pm, Meditation at 3:45 pm, Yizkor at 5:30 pm, Neilia at 6:45 pm and Shofar blowing and Havdalah at 8:18 pm. Break-fast will follow.

Past years

5778/ 2017

Ve-taher libenu le-ovedekha be-emet

Purify our hearts so we may serve You—and serve our communities and serve our planet–in truth

Reflections on the theme from Reb Elliot Ginsburg

As musical accompaniment for our davenen: consider two texts on the Pure Heart…one taking off from the Liturgy (R. Zalman) and the other an excerpt from Psalm 51.

The following YouTubes for Psalm 51: Lev Tahor/Pure Heart (one version in in Hebrew and one in English) are from the Jerusalem Renewal Community Nava Tehila