The High Holy Days
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur invite us to gather as a community, open our hearts to one another, better understand ourselves and seek and grant forgiveness.
The High Holy Days at Temple Emanu-El
The High Holy Days are the most sacred season of the Jewish year. Rooted in the Torah and shaped by millennia of tradition, these days invite us to reflect on our actions, renew our commitments, and reconnect with ourselves, our community, and the Divine.
The season begins in the Hebrew month of Elul with Selichot, continues with Rosh Hashanah, and culminates in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Slichot
Slichot, meaning “forgiveness,” refers to the penitential prayers that help prepare us spiritually for the High Holy Days. At Temple Emanu‑El, our Slichot 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.
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.
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 Nidre, 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.
High Holy Days 5786 Schedule of Services
SELICHOT
Slichot, meaning “forgiveness,” refers to the penitential prayers that help prepare us spiritually for the High Holy Days. At Temple Emanu‑El, our Slichot 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 | Fifth Avenue 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
4:00 PM – 7:00 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.
Friday Night Hub Rosh Hashanah Dinner
6:00 PM – 7:45 PM | Isaac Mayer Wise Hall
For those in their 20s and 30s. Advanced registration is required.
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.
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.
Special Guest Speaker from the Israeli Consulate of New York*
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Beth-El Chapel
Open to all members.
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 TBD | 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 Nidre, 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.
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.
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.
Yom Kippur Study Sessions*
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Various locations
Open to all members.
Yom Kippur Teen Service*
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lowenstein Sanctuary
A dynamic teen-led service.
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.
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.
