Temple Emanu-El welcomes you to celebrate the High Holy Days with us. Become a member to receive your tickets.
Full Schedule
High Holy Days 5787 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 5, 2026
Selichot Service [ ▸ ]
8:00 PM – 9:15 PM | Beth-El Chapel
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 11, 2026
Erev Rosh Hashanah Formal Service [ ▸ ]
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Friday Night Hub Rosh Hashanah Dinner
7:15 PM – 9:00 PM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
For those in their 20s and 30s. Advance registration is required.
Community as Family Rosh Hashanah Dinner
7:15 PM – 9:00 PM | Leventritt Room
Advance registration is required.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Rosh Hashanah Young Families Service
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
For families with toddlers and preschoolers. Enter at 10 East 66th Street.
Rosh Hashanah Morning Formal Service* [ ▸ ]
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Special Guest Speaker from the Israeli Consulate of New York [ ▸ ]
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Beth-El Chapel
Rosh Hashanah Teen Service [ ▸ ]
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A dynamic teen-led service. Enter at 10 East 66th Street.
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.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Emanu-El Downtown: Tashlich at the Carousel
3:00 PM – 5:00 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.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
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.
Yom Kippur Kol Nidrei Formal Service* [ ▸ ]
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Monday, September 21, 2026
Yom Kippur Young Families Service
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
Enter at 10 East 66th Street.
Yom Kippur Morning Formal Service* [ ▸ ]
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Yom Kippur Study Sessions 1 & 2 [ ▸ ]
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Various locations
Open to all members. Please choose one session.
1) “The Memorial Service: How it Came Into Being, and the Intriguing Stories Behind Its Prayers” with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman PhD.
2) “Sacred Ground: The History of the Temple Emanu-El Cemetery” with Warren Klein, Director and Curator, Bernard Museum of Judaica.
Yom Kippur Teen Service [ ▸ ]
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A dynamic teen-led service. Enter at 10 East 66th Street.
Moments Before the Ark
2:15 PM – 5:00 PM | Beth-El Chapel
A moment for personal reflection and prayer during the holiest day of the year.
Yom Kippur Study Sessions [ ▸ ]
2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Various locations
Open to all members. Please choose one session.
3) “The Mystery and Majesty of the Dead Sea Scrolls” with Dr. Joel M. Hoffman.
4) “America at 250: How Jews Reinvented Themselves and this Nation” with Dr. Steven Windmueller.
Yom Kippur Avodah, Afternoon, Memorial/Yizkor, and Concluding Services* [ ▸ ]
2:15 PM – 5:30 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Yizkor begins at approximately 3:30 PM. Please be seated by 3:15 PM.
Yom Kippur Family Worship Service [ ▸ ]
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A spirited, musical service for families with elementary and pre-teen children, concluding with a special procession into the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary, where children will help lead our community in Havdalah. Please enter at 10 East 66th Street.
SUKKOT
Friday, September 25, 2026
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 Shabbat Service [ ▸ ]
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.
Family Shabbat Dinner
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
All families are invited to join this joyful Shabbat dinner, focused on gratitude.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Sukkot Morning Service [ ▸ ]
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all.
SH’MINI ATZERET / SIMCHAT TORAH
Friday, October 2, 2026
Pre-Simchat Torah Party
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
Join us for Roll with It — a festive family gathering with snacks, music, and crafts.
Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Family Evening Service with Consecration [ ▸ ]
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all. Followed by a festive community oneg.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah Morning Service with Yizkor [ ▸ ]
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Fifth Avenue Sanctuary
Open to all.
* For members with reserved seating.
[ ▸ ] This service will be livestreamed for everyone on our Livestream page, Facebook, and YouTube.
Rosh Hashanah Events
Rosh Hashanah Events
Yom Kippur Events
Yom Kippur Events
Sukkot Events
Sukkot Events
General Information & FAQs
Important Dates
All members in good standing will receive their tickets on August 27 via email.
August 17 is this year’s deadline to request tickets. Contact the Membership Office if you have not yet completed your ticket request form.
Tickets & Seating
Tickets are required for all Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. They are available only to temple members and their guests.
Our Selichot, Tashlich, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah (Yizkor) services are open to the public. See our general calendar for details.
Assigned and Unassigned Seating Services
Ticket holders will either be assigned seats (included with Fifth Avenue Membership) or receive unassigned seating tickets (included with Standard Membership).Ticket holders with unassigned seats may choose from the available seats upon arrival. Assigned seats remain reserved for specific members and will not be available at any time during the service. For those with unassigned seats, we recommend arriving 30 minutes early as available seats will fill quickly. Prospective Fifth Avenue members can easily estimate the cost of assigned seats per household using our Membership calculator.
Shir Chadash, our music-driven, participatory service open to all ages, is unassigned seating and will take place only on Yom Kippur this year so that we can all be together on Rosh Hashanah to commemorate September 11th.
Please contact the Membership Office to determine the best seating option for your family.
Services for Families
Our Young Families services (Pre-K and younger), Family Worship Service (grades K-7), Teen Services (parents welcome), are designed to appeal to children and their grownups. Shir Chadash is a music-driven participatory worship service open to all ages. All members are welcome to request tickets for any of these services. This year, our Family Services will be held in Lowenstein Sanctuary.
Reciprocity Tickets
Seating reciprocity is available for members in good standing who will be out of town and wish to attend services at another Union for Reform Judaism congregation. Similarly, Emanu-El provides complimentary tickets for out-of-town relatives or visitors who arrange for reciprocity through their home temple. Please contact Membership to learn more.
Guest Tickets
We are pleased to offer a limited number of guest tickets for members in good standing.
- Assigned seating rates are per ticket, per service:
- Purchased by July 31: $225
- Purchased on or after August 1: $300
- Shir Chadash Service on Kol Nidrei:
- Purchased by July 31: $50 per ticket
- Purchased on or after August 1: $75 per ticket
- For Young Families, Family, and Teen services:
No cost for additional tickets.
To request additional tickets, please contact the Membership Office.
Access & Security
Doors will open 30 minutes prior to each service. Congregants will be welcomed at the following locations:
Fifth Avenue Sanctuary: Fifth Avenue at East 65th Street
Lowenstein Sanctuary: 10 East 66th Street
Young Families Services: 1 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
Temple Emanu-El’s professional security team proudly works in partnership with the NYPD to ensure all spaces are safe for members to worship. This year, you’ll notice ballistic panels have been temporarily added to our Fifth Avenue entrance for an added layer of security.
All congregants are subject to security screening upon entry. Only small bags or purses will be permitted. No large bags or backpacks will be allowed inside. All bags will be inspected.
Restrooms
In the Fifth Avenue Sanctuary, restrooms are located one level down. An elevator is located at the rear of Beth El Chapel to accommodate anyone requiring walking assistance. In Lowenstein Sanctuary, restrooms are on the same floor.
Assistance
For those congregants hard of hearing, T-coil devices are available upon request at the entrance to each space.
Only trained service animals are permitted to accompany their owners to in-person services and temple events. Beloved pets and emotional support animals are invited to join via livestream only. A service animal is defined as an animal that has been trained to perform essential tasks directly related to the disability of the owner.
For other in-person needs, visit our support desks at the 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.
Worship Etiquette
Cell Phone Use and Photography
To protect the sanctity of the worship experience, we do not permit photos or video during services. We ask that all electronic devices be silenced before worship begins.
Contact Membership
If you have questions that are not addressed here, please contact the Membership office at 212-507-9514 or membership@emanuelnyc.org.
