2024/5785 High Holidays

A Multigenerational Erev Rosh Hashanah Experience: We welcome in the New Year 5785 with a service geared toward ages five and older. This worship experience is multigenerational—for children, grandparents, families, and individuals who want to experience an uplifting, interactive, joyful, one-hour service to usher in the New Year and our High Holiday season of renewal. This service is on Wednesday night, October 2, at 7:00 p.m

Rosh Hashanah Youth Worship and Programming: led by Rabbi Prass and our Youth Song leader, is geared towards those in grades K-5. Our students pray, learn, and enjoy this interactive, fun, special Holiday time. Reservations are required to ensure we have enough staff and program materials. Youth Worship and Programming begins at 9:00 a.m. on October 3rd.

Tot Rosh Hashanah Experience: This half-hour song, prayer, and story-filled time is geared towards our youngest friends and their families and begins at 11:15 am on October 3rd. All Welcome! 

Rosh Hashanah Early Morning Worship: This uplifting service runs concurrently with our Youth Service and Programming. Rabbi Bellows, Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler, and the Beth Am Choir will lead our Rosh Hashanah Early Worship beginning at 9:00 a.m. on October 3rd.

Rosh Hashanah Late Morning Worship: This uplifting service, which begins at 11:45 am, is led by Rabbi Bellows, Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler, and our Tefillah (prayer) Band.

Tashlich: A tradition on Rosh Hashanah afternoon dates back to the Middle Ages. Tashlich (tahsh-leekh), meaning “to cast,” is an outdoor tradition where we symbolically cast away our transgressions from the past year into a body of water, symbolizing the transformative beauty and power of creation. Our Tashlich takes place on Rosh Hashanah afternoon around 1:45 pm at Green Lake Park, 1101 Green Knolls Drive, in Buffalo Grove. Tashlich is a tradition not to be missed! Bring your own birdseed, corn, chopped lettuce, or oats to feed the ducks.

Shabbat Shuva: Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of Repentance, takes place on the Friday night between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This Shabbat worship includes themes of repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. It is held at Beth Am on October 4th at 7:00 pm.

Erev Yom Kippur Multi-Generational Worship: This Erev Yom Kippur worship experience is geared towards ages five and older and is multi-generational–children, grandparents, families, and individuals. We will experience a meaningful, interactive, one-hour service with the Yom Kippur themes of forgiveness and repentance including a selection from the Kol Nidre prayer. This service is on October 11th at 6:30 pm.

Kol Nidre Adult Worship: This service is geared toward 6th-grade students and up. Kol Nidre, the prayer which releases us from vows made to God in the past year, will be chanted. This solemn service is a powerful way for our community to offer teshuva, returning together. It is led by Rabbi Bellows, Todd Kessler, and the Beth Am Choir.

Yom Kippur Youth Worship and Programming: Led by Rabbi Prass and our Youth Song leader, this service and program is geared towards those in grades K- 5th. Our students pray, learn, and enjoy this interactive, special Holiday time. Reservations are required to make sure we have enough staff and program materials. Youth Worship and Programming begin at 9:00 am on October 12th.

Tot Yom Kippur Experience: This half-hour song, prayer, and story-filled time is geared towards our youngest friends and their families and begins at 11:15 am. All Welcome!

Yom Kippur Early Morning Worship: This service of prayer, contemplation, teshuva (returning), and repentance runs concurrently with our Youth Service and Programming. Rabbi Bellows, Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler, and the Beth Am Choir will lead our Yom Kippur Early Worship at 9:00 am, October 12th.

Yom Kippur Late Morning Worship: This service of prayer, contemplation, teshuva (returning), and repentance begins is led by Rabbi Bellows, Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler, and our Tefillah (prayer) Band. This service is at 11:45 am on October 12th. Immediately following, we will begin the Yizkor service. (Yizkor will also be offered later, in the afternoon.

Yom Kippur Yizkor Morning Worship: Yizkor, the solemn service of remembrance, will take place immediately after Late Morning Worship. Rabbi Bellows and Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler will lead this service.

An October 7, 2023, Service of Remembrance and Healing: On October 7, 2023, Israel and the world witnessed the worst attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. At this service, we will pray, sing, and remember the more than 1400 Israelis killed. This service starts at 3:15 pm.

Yom Kippur Afternoon, Yizkor, and Neilah: The Afternoon service begins at 4:00 pm and continues the themes of repentance and prayer. We will read from the Torah scroll and selections from the Book of Jonah will be recited in English. The liturgy of this service allows one to go deeper into the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and renewal.

Yom Kippur Afternoon Yizkor Service: Yizkor, the solemn service of remembrance, will take place after our Afternoon Worship service. Rabbi Bellows, Cantorial Soloist Todd Kessler, and the Beth Am Choir will lead this service. (This service is also offered in the morning following the 11:45 am Late Morning worship)

Yom Kippur Neilah Service: This service, the last service of Yom Kippur, is powerful, as our last prayers of the Yamim Noraim, Days of Awe, are uttered. At the conclusion of Neilah, we invite all who wish to join us on the bima (where the Ark and Torahs are) for Havdalah (concluding worship with candle, wine, and spices), Shofar sounding, and a breaking of the fast with Motzei and Challah. If you have a shofar, please bring it to this service!