A Personal High Holiday Invitation

On Sunday, the new Hebrew month of Elul begins. Elul is the unofficial start of the High Holiday season. As Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur approach, I want to share a personal and heartfelt request: I would truly love to see you and your families at the JCCP/CBT for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur this year. Please plan to be with us in person in the building this year. This year, more than ever, I hope we can come together as one congregation — in person — to pray, reflect, and celebrate the Days of Awe. I want to see our sanctuary once again filled with familiar faces, voices joined in song and prayer, and the powerful feeling that only a full congregation can create during these sacred moments. In recent years, we’ve all had to adapt in different ways. Much thought and care went into making our High Holiday experiences meaningful while ensuring everyone felt safe and supported. I’m proud of the dedication our community showed and grateful that we remained connected, whether in person or online. 

Last year, I made a similar request. I wrote to the community, inviting your in-person High Holiday attendance. After several years of disruption as a result of the pandemic and its aftermath, it was time to return to synagogue in the large numbers that have characterized High Holiday observances for generations. It was important to experience the strength of the entire congregation gathering together. I am grateful for those who responded to my request. Yet we still have a long way to go. And so, I especially want to extend a warm invitation to those who have joined us via livestream in recent years: if you’re able, please come be with us in the sanctuary. Your presence is not just welcome. It is essential to the strength and future of our community. 

Of course, we will continue to offer a high-quality livestream option for those who prefer or need to join us from home. We remain committed to embracing the tools and technology that have helped keep us connected. We honor every way our members choose to engage, and we’re grateful for your continued involvement and support. 

The past few years have brought changes in how we gather, how we pray, and how we support one another. Many of these changes have been welcomed and will remain part of our approach. But our core mission is unchanged: we are a Beit Tefillah, a house of prayer; a Beit Midrash, a house of learning; and a Beit Knesset, a house of gathering. Each of these depends on the active participation of our members, and that includes you. 

As we prepare to enter 5786, I look forward to seeing our congregation vibrant and full. L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu v’Teichateimu - May you and your loved ones be inscribed and sealed for a year of health, happiness, and peace.

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