High Holy Days 5785
The High Holy Days are rapidly approaching. Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday, October 2 and we are looking forward to once again being back together in the tent for services. We return with Rabbi Mara Young, Cantor Jenna Mark, Shaliach Kehillah Corey Friedlander, and Rabbinic Intern Matthew Berman, and welcome the many new members of our temple community along with all of the familiar faces.
The High Holy Days give us the opportunity to pause, reflect, and rededicate ourselves to the work of improving ourselves, our community, and the world. This year has been momentous both within our community and in the world at large. Our need to be together is more present than ever.
Our High Holy Days services will be held in person in our tent on the temple lawn. Every service will also be available for viewing via Zoom for those who choose to join us from home. Access to all High Holy Day services is included in temple membership for Woodlands member households in good standing. If you have any questions, please contact the temple office at wct@wct.org.
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Family Services are open to all ages and are free of charge although donations are always welcome.
High Holy Days (HHD) Schedule
Please note- services are in the tent unless indicated
Selichot Service, Sat, Sep 28, 8:00 pm
(in the Sanctuary)
Rosh Hashanah Evening, Wed, Oct 2, 8:00 pm
Evening Service
Teen Service (7-12 grades) (in the Sanctuary)
Rosh Hashanah Day 1, Thu, Oct 3
Morning Service, 10:00 am
All-Ages Family Service, 2:00 pm
Tashlich Service, 4:00 pm (at the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Park)
Rosh Hashanah Day 2, Fri, Oct 4
Morning Service, 10:00 am (in the Sanctuary)
Shabbat Shuva, Fri, Oct 4, 7:00 pm (in the Sanctuary)
Kol Nidre Fri, Oct, 11, 8:00 pm
Evening Service
Teen Service (7-12 grades) (in the Sanctuary)
Yom Kippur, Sat, Oct 12
Morning Service, 10:00 am
Yom Kippur Learning, 1:00 to 2:30 pm (in the Meeting Room)
All-Ages Family Service, 1:15 pm
Yizkor Service, 3:00 pm
Afternoon Service, 4:30 pm
Neilah Service, 5:30 pm
Sukkot, Wed, Oct 16
5:30-6:30 pm Sukkah Dedication and Sukkot Social
Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Fri, Oct 18
6:00 pm Shabbat Service
7:00 pm Sukkot BBQ
Simchat Torah Evening, Wed, Oct 23 (in the Sanctuary)
5:30 pm 1st Grade Consecration
7:00 pm Simchat Torah Community Celebration
Simchat Torah Day, Thu, Oct 24 (in the Sanctuary) 5:30 pm Yizkor
HHD Family Services
Family Services are specially prepared to engage our temple families with children (grades 6 and below) as well as members of the community. There is singing, laughter, and the special participation of our temple teens! Be sure to spread the word about these free services that are open to the public and give folks a great taste of what Woodlands is all about.
HHD Guests
Guests of members and non-members are welcome to join us for High Holy Days worship services for a suggested donation of $500. Please visit wct.org/HHDGuest to sign up.
Non-members who wish to register for only the Yizkor service may do so for a suggested donation of $36.
Yizkor Book of Remembrance
The Woodlands Yom Kippur Yizkor Book of Remembrance is a beloved tradition in which WCT households submit names of the people they are remembering on Yizkor, a special Jewish time of remembering. These names are put into a physical "Book of Remembrance" that all worshippers receive at the Yom Kippur Yizkor Service. It is traditional to remember loved ones by giving tzedakah and the suggested donation that accompanies your submission acts in this capacity.
May your loved one's memories be for a blessing.
Prayer Books
Our clergy recommend that service participants have Mishkan HaNefesh, our High Holy Day makhzor (prayerbook) available to follow along during online services. There are a few different ways to access books both electronically or in hard copies.
- Click here to order a digital copy.
- Click here to buy your own hard copies from CCAR.
- Woodlands members may borrow hard copies of the book from the temple. Email the office to reserve a copy at wct@wct.org. Copies must be picked up by September 30.
High Holy Days Food Project
High Holy Days Food Collection
Local food pantries continue to be in crisis. Please help us to help our neighbors who are food insecure by bringing nourishing non-perishable foods to the food van at the temple between Kol Nidre (10/11) and the beginning of Neilah (10/12). Those who will be attending services online may drop off their donations at the temple during the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – collection box inside temple. Volunteers are also needed to accept foods on Yom Kippur– sign up at http://wct.org/foodvansignup. To help deliver collected foods to the pantries on Tue, 9/26, you can sign up there as well. Look for the list of foods needed at http://wct.org/foodvan – and check to see that the foods are not past or near their expiration dates. If you are donating canned goods, please look for pop-tops wherever possible. In lieu of – or in addition to – bringing food, we welcome your contributions of supermarket gift cards (Stop & Shop, ShopRite, etc) in denominations no larger than $25.
WCT Food Cart
A food cart sits at the entry to our Religious School as a collection center for local food pantries and specific projects in which we are involved. Your monthly participation is invited – just check dates on donated foods. In September, we are collecting low-sugar cereal boxes, soft granola bars, juice boxes, and fruit cups. Foods for subsequent months listed in the Makom, weekly daf, and Monday email.
Feeding Westchester
While the memory of these Holy Days lingers, please take time to write a check to Feeding Westchester (formerly Food Bank for Westchester). Your donation of $36 or more will help alleviate hunger in 300 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters throughout Westchester. Send donations to 200 Clearbrook Road, Elmsford, NY 10523. Donate online at feedingwestchester.org.
Parking Information
Help us make this year's High Holy Days wonderful for everyone by following our parking instructions. Please take the time to read this.
We know that parking is at a premium when large numbers come to temple, so please carpool if you can. If you do drive, park at St. Joe's (in the designated spots). You may also park on Don Lane, Biltom Rd, and Drake Rd, but not on Whitehouse Rd.
Remember to park only on the side designated by Police Department signs and observe the No Parking signs. Greenburgh Police patrol these streets and will ticket (or even tow) cars not parked properly. There will be limited disabled parking spaces close to the tent for legitimate state or county disabled parking license permits.
And remember: The entire temple parking lot is now reserved for families that require parking in close proximity to the temple (such as seniors unable to navigate the hill from St. Joe's). These spaces are extremely limited, so please make sure you truly need one before parking there. You have been wonderfully sensitive about this in previous years; we thank you in advance for again doing the same. Parking is not permitted on the street directly in front of the temple. Please click here for a detailed map of parking locations.
Bookplates
It is a time-honored Jewish tradition to make tzedakah contributions in honor or in memory of our loved ones. Now, donations to Woodlands Community Temple can be recognized with inscribed bookplates, placed permanently in a copy of Mishkan HaNefesh praybooks. Your donation will help to maintain our prayer books, and each bookplate will recognize your generosity.
High Holy Day Sermons 5785 (2024)
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon (Matthew Berman, Rabbinic Intern)
Leaning on One Another (Rabbi Mara Young, Rosh Hashanah Day 1)
A Time to Speak and a Time to be Silent (Cantor Jenna Mark, Rosh Hashanah Day 2)
President's Address (Jenna Lebowich, Rosh Hashanah Day 1
HHD Daf