Our self-guided exploration pathway puts worship at your fingertips, anywhere, anytime.
Dig deeper into the High Holy Days and strengthen relationships with other Temple Israel members in interactive, virtual gatherings in the month of Elul and on the holidays themselves.
Find comfort in the familiar and be inspired by innovation, as we bring meaningful live worship experience to you, streamed from the Sanctuary and Levi Auditorium.
Listen to the meaningful sermons delivered by the Temple Israel clergy: Click here to see the selection.
Friday, October 2 and Friday, October 9
Join us in our Sukkah of Justice and Compassion as part of virtual Qabbalat Shabbat on Friday, October 2! We will have a Sukkot themed Torah study and celebration on Shabbat morning.
On Simchat Torah, we will unroll the Torah virtually on Friday, October 9 to take in its magnificence and have a Torah dance party online! Before the service, we celebrate our youngest scholars as they embark on their Jewish learning journey. Torah study the following morning will take us on a tour of the entire Torah.
How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi’s concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America–but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. Gather in community to enter the new year with deepened commitment to antiracism. In partnership with TIkkun Central’s Racial Justice Initiative, congregants are invited to gather in lay-led small groups to prepare for the High Holy Days to discuss, reflect, and act on the concepts in Kendi’s book, with an option for caucus spaces if desired. We encourage participants to purchase books from the Frugal Bookstore in Nubian Square, a local black-owned bookstore. Get the book now and register for the High Holy Day Prep Small Group to discuss the book.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
On the High Holy Days, we have several pathways towards repentance, prayer, and just action. S’lichot is our doorway to this meaningful journey. With Torah, prayer, and community, we begin to pose the eternal questions of our existence as we return to our best selves. As the sun sets, the clergy will lead us in hybrid experience: from our homes and also in-person, at an outdoor location.
S’LICHOT PREPARATORY SESSIONS, 5:30 P.M., 6:30 P.M., AND 7:30 P.M.
Connect with other members as we prepare our minds, bodies, and souls for the High Holy Days.
CANDLELIT, OUTDOOR SERVICE, 8:30 – 9:00 P.M.
With battery-lit candles, music, and repentant meditation, we dress our Torah in white, ritually preparing it and ourselves for our season of holiness. We will be practicing social distancing and masks are required. Stay tuned for registration. Location provided upon registration.
S’LICHOT ZOOM SERVICE, 9:30 P.M.
We gather in virtual space to sing and pray together our beautiful S’lichot liturgy.
We have collected a rich tapestry of honest, reflective, and personal stories from our community that uplift our voices as we strive together toward an antiracist future. We invite you to explore and engage as we embark on this transformative journey together as a community rooted in the concept of Tikkun Olam, and intergenerational t’shuvah.
Yizkor Memorial Books are a treasured tradition at Temple Israel. The Memorial Book includes the names of Temple Israel members who have passed away since last Yom Kippur and those who have memorial plaques in the Memorial Alcove or Memorial Menorah. Click here to view the 5781 Yizkor Memorial Book.
Temple Israel members will have the opportunity to stop by during our planned curb-side hours or reserve a timeslot and come into our building to partake in several Temple Israel High Holy Day traditions all at once: pick up a prayer book, donate to Tzedakah Row and the Greater Boston Food Bank, and have a quiet moment before the ark. Prior to entering the building we will be conducting a brief health screening. We ask that you wear a mask and practice social distancing when you are in the building. Reserve your time here.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
We invite you to participate in Tashlich, a beautiful ritual which allows us to symbolically cast our transgressions into the river. Find your own Tashlich materials here, and listen to Cantor Stillman’s Tashlich Medley. Bring your own rice to cast into the river. The Temple Israel clergy will be present at the Muddy River, to greet you from a distance.
Each year we select several organizations for a communal tzedakah project. This year, we have chosen the following organizations to support:
Fresh Food Generation:
Fresh Food Generation’s mission is to “disrupt food disparities by creating a common food experience.” Most recently their team has been partnering with the non-profit farm and education program The Food Project, to bring local farm produce and serving meals to food-insecure families in Chelsea and East Boston. Click here to support Fresh Food Generation & The Food Project’s Food Relief Efforts in Chelsea & East Boston.
Louis D. Brown Peace Institute:
The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute has served Boston as “a center of healing, teaching, and learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief, and loss.” They believe that all families impacted by murder deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of the circumstances. Click here to support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.
Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA):
A leader in Boston’s discussions on racial equality and economic justice, their mission is to “advance the economic well-being of Black businesses, organizations that serve the Black community and Black residents of Massachusetts.” Click here to support BECMA.
“These days beckon us into self-reflection and examination to uncover the truths of how we live our lives. When we feel lost or out of control, it is as if Jewish tradition takes our hand and guides us through this maze of uncertainty. We cannot predict exactly what the future will bring, but we do know that through our experience of the High Holy Days with our beloved community, we are offered the resources to approach this time with hope and possibility. May we be uplifted by awe, wonder, and gratitude as we move toward the New Year together.”
– Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Senior Rabbi