July 2, 2020
10 Tammuz 5780
We hope you and your family are well as we face the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though summer is just under way, we are already planning for the High Holy Days, which start on the evening of September 18. The High Holy Days Task Force, led by CEEBJ’s Worship Chair Rich Konz, began its work in early June. Its goal is to envision and plan for the much-anticipated season of spirituality and traditions that brings our community together to welcome the New Year.
The members of the Task Force, which includes professional staff, board members and congregants, have approached this undertaking with commitment, creativity, energy and a wide range of viewpoints and skills (including medical expertise). Above all, the group is guided in this important task by the highest values of Judaism, in particular pikuach nefesh, the saving or preserving of human life, and the traditions of the Reform Movement.
In accordance with these values, the Task Force has concluded that High Holy Days services cannot be conducted safely in our sanctuary this year. However, though we will be observing the holidays differently, we will still come together to worship and celebrate the Days of Awe as a community. We will see our Torah scrolls in their white mantels. We will hear Kol Nidre and the other beautiful melodies that move our souls. We will learn together. We will listen to the call of the shofar. We will remember our loved ones during Yizkor. We will eat apples dipped in honey. We will engage our children, youth, families, and adults of all ages. And we will be able to see each other’s faces—though online or from a distance. As we discover and engage in new ways of praying together and connecting with family and friends, we will experience the High Holy Days and ourselves anew, with fresh eyes and open hearts.
Though we will all miss being together in our beautiful sanctuary, this time is also a reminder that CEEBJ is more than a building. Our strength lies in our outstanding clergy and staff, who remain available to lead and teach our congregation and address individual needs throughout the year, and in our committed members. With your ongoing support, our community will remain strong and vibrant as we look forward to returning to our spiritual home when it is safe to do so.
We will advise you of the details of our High Holy Days services and observances as our plans develop further. We welcome your questions and your thoughts and invite you to email us at HHD@ceebj.org or call (414) 228-7545 with your comments. Please feel free to contact any of us or any of the other members of the Task Force: Audrie Berman, Reenie Kavalar, Ben Levin, Michael Levin, Norm Malmon, Cindy Rasansky, Sandy Stern, and Jeff Widell.
L’shalom,
Marc E. Berkson, Rabbi
Michael Grinker, President
David M. Barash, Cantor
Susan Cosden, RJE, Director of Lifelong Learning
Andrew Appel, Executive Director
Rich Konz, Chair, High Holy Days Task Force
P. S. If you are concerned about being able to access our High Holy Days services or any of our ongoing activities—due to lack of technology or limited skills—please call the CEEBJ Cares Hotline at (414) 301-1653 and leave a message. One of our tech assistants will work with you to ensure your ability to participate in all that we do.
