| Feeling a sense of community is often a big part of celebrating the High Holidays. If you determine that participating in the sanctuary is not the right choice for you this year, here are some ideas that can enhance your High Holiday experience at home. |
| ~Gather with a small group of extended family or friends, choosing accommodations that work for you and whatever aligns with your own comfort level. ~Grab your sticky notes! After you pick up your Machzorim (high holiday prayer books) at Beth Am, take some time to select some favorite supplementary readings that appear in the margins. Share them with one another during services.~“Zoom together” using a wireless speaker. (You’ll receive an email with Zoom links approx. 24 hrs before services begin if you register here) Try elevating your connection to prayers and to our community by connecting your laptop to a small, portable bluetooth speaker, which can provide richer sound, greater ambiance (feels more like in-person services), and allows all in your family/group to listen together! (It can offer a better experience even if it’s just you.)[For this simple device, we’ve identified a few options as a courtesy. This is “info” not a “recommendation” (we get no profit!). There’s the Tribit XSound Go ($37) as the NYT Wirecutter budget pick, the upgrade Tribit Stormbox ($70) preferred by Wired mag, or the JBL Flip 5 ($105),which is expressly cited as good for outdoor use. Or, select your own! ~Have a shofar ready to blow for your group… It’s intimate and inspiring. Maybe blow it outside and give your neighbors a treat! The sound of the shofar is meant to be a wake-up call. Ask one another: What do each of you want to be more mindful of this year? ~Plan to stay together for a meal. You can chose to keep it simple by having everyone bring their own food or by arranging a pot luck. You may want to try the recipes from our BAI holiday cookbook. Access our cookbook here. ~Share a holiday meal over Zoom with a Beth Am’er “Zoom Meal Host” (request here to be a “virtual guest”). And/or request to receive a real holiday meal from a Beth Am’er’s kitchen delivered right to your home! ~Don’t forget to pick up a round challah and apples & honey to bring in a sweet year! Think about saying the blessings over these foods even if doing so isn’t your usual practice, to enhance awareness of your gifts of abundance and feelings of gratitude. Find these blessings here. ~Invite everyone present to spontaneously offer their own blessing for the season — personal prayers of thanks or of wishes for the year to come. ~Virtually or in-person, use this opportunity to encourage everyone to share their thoughts for the season: What did you learn from this past year and the pandemic life? What do you want to hang on to and what do you want to leave behind? How might you give of yourself to your community in this next year? How might you take better care of yourself? Is there something or even someone you’d like to connect with more deeply in the coming year? ~This season is known as Yamim Nora’im (the Days of Awe). Have your group describe what inspires their sense of awe. If you know one another well, this can be a chance to affirm one another by going around and offering : “I am in awe of you because…” and share something about that person that you admire.~Add a “new fruit” to your second day menu! Since we say the Shechehiyanu prayer (for new & special occasions like the beginning of a new year), it’s customary to say it while enjoying a fruit we don’t commonly eat (think star fruit or lychees). Another good choice is a pomegranate ― associated with Israel and having legendary 613 seeds, corresponding with the number of commandments. ~However you decide to celebrate, you can get in the spirit by listening to Hazzan Harold’s inspiring Playlist and Rabbi David’s podcast. You have till Sept. 6 to plan! Feel free to reach out to the Community Connections Committee with any questions, and please share any of your own traditions or ideas with our community by emailing us here! Your Community Connections Committee(which you are SO welcome to join!) Barbra Berley-Mellits & Deb Aronson, Co- Chairs |
