Full Schedule
High Holy Days 5786 Schedule of Services & Programs
SELICHOT
Selichot, meaning “forgiveness,” refers to the penitential prayers that help prepare us spiritually for the High Holy Days. At Temple Emanu‑El, our Selichot service is held on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. The service includes moving liturgy, poetry, and music, often beginning with havdalah and the sounding of the shofar. It is a powerful opportunity to begin the Days of Awe with intention, reflection, and a sense of sacred gathering.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Selichot Service*
8:00 PM – 9:15 PM | Beth-El Sanctuary
Open to all. Music, poetry, and penitential prayers for the New Year. A dessert reception will follow.
ROSH HASHANAH
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is first mentioned in Leviticus 23 as a “day of sounding the shofar.” It marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance and invites us to take stock of our lives. The sound of the shofar calls us to wake up to our values, our responsibilities, and the work of personal transformation. At Temple Emanu‑El, our services include prayer, Torah reading, and the blowing of the shofar. Many also take part in Tashlich, a meaningful tradition in which we symbolically cast away our sins into a natural body of flowing water.
Tickets are required for all services on Rosh Hashanah.
Friday, September 19, 2025
Emanu-El Downtown: Shofar Shabbat
Time: 5:00 PM | Emanu-El Downtown: 15 West 16th Street
Herald in the New Year with us at the Center for Jewish History! Make new friends at our Shabbat Dinner Together complete with a service, yummy food, and play for every age. Intended for kids 0–12 and their grown-ups. Advanced registration is required.
Monday, September 22, 2025
Erev Rosh Hashanah Formal Service*
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
For members with reserved seating. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir. For members with reserved seating. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir. Sermon: Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson
Friday Night Hub Rosh Hashanah Dinner
6:00 PM – 7:45 PM | Blumenthal Hall
For those in their 20s and 30s. Advanced registration is required. Enter at 10 East 66th Street.
Erev Rosh Hashanah Shir Chadash Service*
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
A participatory service with music and singing. Appropriate for children. Sermon: Rabbi Sara Y. Sapadin
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Rosh Hashanah Young Families Service
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
For families with toddlers and preschoolers. A reception will follow. Enter at One East 65th Street.
Rosh Hashanah Morning Formal Service*
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
For members with reserved seating. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir. Sermon: Rabbi Amy B. Ehrlich
Special Guest Speaker from the Israeli Consulate of New York*
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Beth-El Chapel
The Israeli Consulate in New York joins us to discuss Israel Today. Open to all members and guests. Please enter from the Fifth Avenue Lobby or the Beth-El Garden entrance; for security, attendees will be asked to present a valid ticket for 5786 services.
Rosh Hashanah Teen Service*
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A dynamic teen-led service.
Rosh Hashanah Family Worship Service*
2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
A spirited, musical service for families with elementary and pre-teen children. A reception will follow in Wise Hall.
Tashlich
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Central Park Pond
Join us for this symbolic ritual of casting away our sins. Meet at the Fifth Avenue doors. All are welcome.
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Emanu-El Downtown: Tashlich at the Carousel
Time: 3:00 PM | Pier 62 between West 22nd & 23rd Streets
Celebrate the New Year with carousel rides, snacks, and family fun by the river. Open to all families.
YOM KIPPUR
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is described in Leviticus 16 and 23 as a day of fasting, prayer, and purification. We begin with the haunting melody of Kol Nidrei, asking that any vows we cannot fulfill be released. The day includes multiple services, with moments for silent reflection and communal confession. We read from Torah and Haftarah, seek forgiveness from one another and from God, and dedicate ourselves to change. Yom Kippur concludes with Ne’ilah, the final service as the symbolic gates of repentance begin to close, and ends with the final, stirring blast of the shofar.
Tickets are required for all services on Yom Kippur.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Yom Kippur Shir Chadash Kol Nidrei Service*
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Participatory service with music and reflection. Appropriate for children. Sermon: Rabbi Emma G. Dubin
Kol Nidrei Formal Service*
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
For members with reserved seating. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir. Sermon: Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Yom Kippur Young Families Service
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
For families with toddlers and preschoolers. Enter at One East 65th Street.
Yom Kippur Morning Formal Service*
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
For members with reserved seating. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir. Sermon: Rabbi Sarah H. Reines
Yom Kippur Study Sessions*
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Various locations
Open to all members.
- Rabbi Larry Hoffman: Why Reform Judaism Matters: A Yom Kippur Retrospective on the essence of Reform Judaism and why it matters for our time.
- Rabbi Joel Hoffman: “Will the Real Bible Please Stand Up?” — Reclaiming our sacred texts in the context of a thriving Reform Judaism
- Museum Director and Curator Warren Klein: Emanu-El at 180: a behind-the-scenes look at the Bernard Museum exhibition
Yom Kippur Teen Service*
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A dynamic teen-led service.
Moments Before the Ark
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM | Greenwald Hall
A sacred opportunity for private prayer and meditation in front of the open ark.
Yom Kippur Family Worship Service*
2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A warm and welcoming service for families with elementary and pre-teen children, followed by our “Missing the Mark” family program.
Yom Kippur Avodah, Afternoon, Memorial/Yizkor, and Concluding Services*
2:15 PM – 5:45 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
For members with reserved seating. Includes Yizkor at approximately 3:30 PM. Please be seated by 3:15 PM. Sermon: Rabbi Sara Y. Sapadin
SUKKOT
Monday, October 6, 2025
Shake in the Shack
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | 3rd Floor Playground (enter at 10 East 66th Street)
Temple Emanu-El families and their guests are invited for lulav shaking, games, and light snacks in the outdoor sukkah as we celebrate Sukkot together.
Erev Sukkot Family Service with Consecration*
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all. Temple Emanu-El brings the spirit of Sukkot indoors with our beautiful sukkah, a sight not to be missed.
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Sukkot Morning Service*
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir.
SH’MINI ATZERET / SIMCHAT TORAH
Monday, October 13, 2025
Roll with It: a Pre-Simchat Torah Family Party
4:30 PM – 5:15 PM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
Join us for a festive family gathering before our joyous Simchat Torah Family Evening Service.
Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Family Evening* Service
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Morning Service with Yizkor*
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all. Traditional Emanu-El service with organ and choir.
*This service will be livestreamed for everyone on Livestream page, Facebook, and YouTube.
Family Services & Programs
Young Professionals (20s & 30s)
Livestream
Membership Options
High Holy Days Seating
Information about High Holy Days tickets at Temple Emanu-El, including service options, seating details, and how members can request tickets.
Standard Membership
Join our community with Standard Membership for worship, education, pastoral care, and programs for all ages.
Fifth Avenue Membership
Upgrade your Temple Emanu-El membership for reserved seating at High Holy Days services in our historic Fifth Avenue sanctuary.
Introductory Membership for Young Professionals
Join our community of young members with special rates for young professionals in their 20s and 30s.
Introductory Downtown Family Membership
We invite individuals and families living downtown to become members with a special introductory Emanu-El Downtown membership.
Emanu-El Everywhere
Live beyond New York City? Our Emanu-El Everywhere Membership keeps you connected to Temple Emanu-El from wherever you call home.
General Information & FAQs
Tickets
Tickets are required for all Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. Tickets are allocated based on membership type, and there is not an option to purchase tickets for individual holidays or services. Membership staff will be onsite during High Holy Days to assist members and guests.
Important Dates
- July 14: All members in good standing will receive a form to select which services you plan to attend.
- September 2: All ticket requests must be submitted by either electronic or paper request form.
- September 9: Tickets will be sent via email to members in good standing who have submitted a ticket request form. Tickets will also be resent before Yom Kippur.
Reserved Seating
We encourage all of our members to reserve seats for our traditional Emanu-El High Holy Day services, which have assigned seating. Reserved seating selections are available in the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary. Please contact the Membership Office to determine the best reserved-seating option for your family. Seating rates and a calculator to estimate the cost difference between standard and reserved seating memberships are available at emanuelnyc.org/fifth-avenue-membership.
Services for All Members
All Temple Emanu-El members are welcome to request tickets for the following High Holy Day services: Young Families services (for families with children Pre-K and under), the Family Worship Service (for families with children in grades K-7), Teen Services (for teens and their families), and Shir Chadash (a participatory music service). These services are appropriate for children.
Seating Reciprocity
Seating reciprocity is available for Temple Emanu- El members in good standing who will be out of town during the High Holy Days and wish to attend services at another Union for Reform Judaism congregation. Similarly, Emanu-El will provide complimentary tickets for out-of-town relatives of members or out-of-town visitors who arrange for courtesy seating through their home congregation.
Additional Tickets
As many of our members celebrate the holidays with extended family or guests, we are pleased to be able to offer a limited number of guest tickets for reserved-seating services at $225 per ticket for each service. For the Shir Chadash Music Services, additional tickets are $50 per ticket per service. Additional tickets for the Young Families, Family, and Teen Services are available at no additional cost. If you are interested in additional tickets, please contact the Membership Office.
Attending Services
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to each service. For access to services in our Fifth Avenue Sanctuary, please enter through the sanctuary doors on Fifth Avenue. For access to services in Lowenstein Sanctuary, enter at 10 East 66th Street. For the Young Families Services, enter at One East 65th Street.
We regret that we will not be able to accommodate any walk-in visitors during High Holy Day services this year. You will be able to view most services on our livestream in real time.
Security
All visitors are subject to security screening upon entry to all services. Visitors will only be permitted to bring a small personal bag or purse and will not be admitted with large bags or backpacks. All bags will be inspected.
Temple Emanu-El is proud to be working in partnership with the NYPD to protect our sites.
Cell Phone Use and Photography
The use of cell phones, cameras, or recording equipment during all programs and worship services is prohibited.
Please silence and put away your devices before the program or worship begins.
Accessibility And Assistance
Restrooms for the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary are located on the Fifth Avenue mezzanine (one floor down). For members and guests who may find stairs difficult to manage, there is a new elevator at the rear of Beth El Chapel. We recommend entering through the Garden Entrance on Fifth Avenue and taking this elevator to access restrooms. Alternatively, you may still enter through the Community House doors at 1 East 65th Street and use that elevator to access the mezzanine level.
In Lowenstein Sanctuary, restrooms are on the first floor.
T-coil devices are available for visitors with hearing impairments.
Service animals are permitted to accompany their owners to services and events at the temple, while pets and emotional support animals are not. A service animal is defined as an animal that has been trained to perform essential tasks directly related to the disability of the owner. Service animals must be attended and restrained at all times. Owners are responsible for any damage to persons or property caused by their animals and for properly disposing of the service animal’s waste. While the owner is not required to provide documentation or information about the nature of their disability, the owner should be able to communicate whether the animal is required because of a disability and the tasks the service animal provides beyond companionship, protection, or comfort.
If you or a member of your family require additional assistance, support desks will be located at the temple garden entrance on Fifth Avenue and outside of the Lowenstein Sanctuary on 66th Street. Technical support will be available during all services by calling the main line at 212-744-1400.
Roll of Remembrance
At Temple Emanu-El, it is our tradition during Yom Kippur to read a list of names of those who have passed since October 13, 2024. Requests for 5786 should be submitted via this form by September 16, 2025.
Additional Information
If you need additional information or have questions that are not addressed here, please contact the Membership office at 212-507-9514 or membership@emanuelnyc.org.
