High Holy Days
Who should attend Ohel Ayalah?
Nature of Services
High Holidays, 2009, Testimonials
Rabbis and Cantors
Schedule
Reservations
Ohel Ayalah offers a free, walk-in service to meet the needs of many Jews, in particular young Jews, who do not have a place to pray on the High Holidays.
Most synagogues require the purchase of a ticket to attend their High Holiday services. Ohel Ayalah does not. Ohel Ayalah believes the Jewish public should be able to worship at services that are free and open to all. Every Jew should be embraced. However, we respect the need of synagogues to charge fees to help defray the costs of their High Holiday services.
Many Jews in New York City do not attend services on the High Holidays. Ohel Ayalah seeks out these Jews, whether they are young people in their 20s and 30s who do not feel comfortable in an established synagogue, whether they are Israelis or Russians who feel separated from established Jewish life, or whether they are interfaith couples or Jews-in-the-making. We want to offer all such Jews a communal prayer experience and make it possible for them to live Jewishly on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
At Ohel Ayalah, it is possible for a Jew to wake up on Rosh Hashanah morning or Kol Nidrei night and say, “I feel like going to the synagogue today and being with other Jews.”
The free, walk-in service at Ohel Ayalah means that a Jew can join a celebration of the High Holidays without having to decide in advance. Every Jew should feel welcome in a synagogue on the High Holidays, whether or not he or she is a member, whether or not he or she made advance arrangements to attend, and whether or not he or she purchases a ticket. This is the mission of Ohel Ayalah.
Who should attend Ohel Ayalah?
Ohel Ayalah reaches out to people who are not already connected to the Jewish community or its institutions. We imagine that there are many American-born young people, in their 20s and 30s, no longer on campus, who might, spontaneously, decide to “do Jewish” on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We imagine there are many Israelis and Russians who also may choose, at the last moment, to find a place to spend “Jewish time” on the High Holidays. Ohel Ayalah will create an instant community for those Jews who celebrate the High Holidays with us. We have room for 230 people. One hundred people may reserve in advance, but there will be plenty of seats for walk-ins. We are not offering this worship service to people who already attend a synagogue. Inter-faith couples are welcome.
Nature of the Service
The service will be egalitarian — both men and women will lead – and traditional. The prayers will be chanted in Hebrew, their language of composition, but there will be interspersed English explanations, comments, and readings. We will sing together, talk together, remain silent together, laugh together, break bread together, and study together. The service will aim to be awe-inspiring (literally), and, at the same time, warm and engaging. Your participation will be a key component in creating a community and a meaningful atmosphere.
High Holidays, 2009, Testimonials
Excerpts below:
“It was everything I could want in a service; the stories were meaningful, the energy was good, and the cantor had a striking voice. Thank you so much for making a difference in my life.”
“My friend and I weren’t sure if we would go to a service this Yom Kippur, but yours came up when we googled “free yom kippur service nyc,” and we knew it would be perfect for our situation. So thank you for providing a free, non-membership, youth-friendly, reform-friendly atmosphere tonight–it was a great way to reconnect to that part of my life.”
“For the first time in a long while, I began to remember what had drawn me to search for a stronger understanding about Judaism. Your services, approach and careful consideration of how to engage (what I imagine is) a largely unaffiliated group of young Jewish people is thoughtful, intelligent and purposeful.”
“I was the one who came up to you at the end of the 6:30 Kol Nidrei service and let you know that you are the only Rabbi, EVER, that has made going to Temple enjoyable! So, thank you, thank you, thank you and L’Shana Tova.”
“I moved to New York City three years ago, after graduating from college, and spent the past two years searching for a welcoming, spiritual (and, of course, budget-friendly) high holiday service. I finally found it this year at Ohel Ayalah. Both the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services were reminiscent of ancient traditions and relevant to modern day, a spiritually-meaningful, community-based experience.”
Read all of the HH Testimonials »
Rabbis and Cantors
In Manhattan:
Rabbi Judith Hauptman, a professor of Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary, will lead the services, together with Student Cantor Josh Gorfinkle.
In Brooklyn:
Rabbi Josh Cahan will lead the service, together with Ba’alat Tefilah Arielle Rubenstein .
Schedule
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Saturday, September 19, the services in Manhattan and in Brooklyn will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end about 12:15 p.m. After services, there will be a (free) light lunch.
On Kol Nidrei night, Sunday, September 27:
M A N H A T T A N
There will be two services. The first will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end about 8:15 p.m. The second will begin at 8:30 pm and end about 10:15 p.m. The second service is all walk-in.
On Monday, September 28, Ne’ilah, at the end of Yom Kippur, will begin at 5:45 p.m. A (free) bagel break-fast follows.
B R O O K L Y N
On Sunday, September 27, there will be only one Kol Nidrei service, at 7:30 pm. 100 seats may be reserved. The rest are for walk-ins.
NEW IN 2009:
On Monday, September 28, in Brooklyn only, there will be a morning service on Yom Kippur at 9:30 a.m. All walk-in. Kol Nidrei moved you? Come back for more.
Also in Brooklyn only: a Study and Reflect session will be offered right before Ne’ilah, on Yom Kippur afternoon, at 4:45 p.m. It will be led by Jason Rubenstein, a rabbinical student at JTS. Show up early for Ne’ilah and talk, learn, and reflect.
Ne’ilah follows at 5:45 p.m. Afterwards, a (free) bagel break-fast.
Reservations
At the Rosh Hashanah service, on Saturday September 19, 100 seats may be reserved. Reservations will be held until 9:50 a.m. All other seats are for walk-ins.
M A N H A T T A N On Kol Nidrei night, Sunday September 27, 100 seats may be reserved for the first service. The rest are for walk-ins. The second Kol Nidrei service is all walk-in.
B R O O K L Y N On Kol Nidrei night, Sun September 27, 100 seats may be reserved for the 7:30 p.m. service. All other seats are for walk-ins.
And the Ne’ilah service, with break-fast, in both locations, is all walk-in.
Click here to make a reservation for either borough.
Join the e/m list (at the top of this page) for updates on reservations.