Welcome to the High Holiday
Open Seats Campaign

Open Seats is a project developed by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation of the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Region and funded by the UJA-Federation to connect families and individuals with welcoming communities for High Holiday services. High Holidays can be a challenging time to find a synagogue community because many synagogues do not have enough space to accommodate non-members. Our regional congregations have always made it a priority to open our doors to those looking for a spiritual home for the High Holiday season. Through Open Seats, our congregations join in effort to help you find the Reconstructionist community that is right for you.

For more information about the Open Seats Campaign, please contact Rabbi Hannah Greenstein, Outreach Coordinator for the JRF NY/NJ at 212-870-2484.

For more information about Reconstructionist Judaism, please see our website:
http://www.jrf.org/reconstructionism

The following is a list of our synagogues participating in the Open Seats Campaign. Included for each synagogue is a description of the prayer services and registration information. Note that some synagogues have set aside seats in their main services, and others have set aside seats in their family services.

Synagogues In NYC

West End Synagogue
Location of Service:
Upper West Side, exact location will be given out with registration.

Service Description:
West End Synagogue extends a warm welcome to all, particularly those who wish to mark the High Holy Days with us. As a Reconstructionist congregation, we take pride in the diversity of our community and participatory nature of our services. We celebrate the High Holy Days with song and prayer, much of it drawn from Jewish tradition and much of it created by our own members. We strive to continue Rabbi Mordicai Kaplan's exploration of what it means to live in two civilizations - Jewish and American cultures - by reconstructing our traditions and striving to make Judaism vibrant and meaningful. No matter where a person is with his or her Judaism, there is a place at West End Synagogue.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18th, 6:00 PM
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 AM
Sunday, September 20, 9:30 AM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, 6:00 PM
Monday September28, 9:30 AM

To Register:
Tickets are $395 per adult. To register for these services, please call Lila at West End Synagogue, 212-579-0777 ex. 220

To Learn More About West End Synagogue, Please Visit Their Website:
www.westendsynagogue.org

Society for the Advancement of Judaism
Location of Service:
15 West 86th Street (Between Columbus and Central Park West)
New York, NY 10024

Family Service Description:
The SAJ Family Services bring meaning and connection to the High Holidays. Through prayer, song, story, discussion and activity, families experience the holidays in a way that is both thought-provoking and celebratory. This year there will be two family services: a Tot Family Service from 9:30-10:15 AM for families with children ages 7 and under and a Children’s Family Service from 10:30-12 Noon for families with children age 7-12. Services will be co-led by Rabbi Joy Levitt (Executive Director of the JCC in Manhattan), SAJ Education Director, Gidon Isaacs, and Jen Shenkman, music specialist at the JCC nursery school, with the participation of Rabbi Michael Strassfeld. The whole family will engage in the joy and spirit of the Jewish New Year!

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Saturday, September 19, 9:30-10:15 AM and 10:30-noon

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, 6:30-7:45PM (one service)
Monday, September 28, 9:30-10:15 AM and 10:30-noon

Main Service Description:
SAJ, the founding Reconstructionist Synagogue, welcomes members and non-members to our High Holy Day services. Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and Cantor Lisa Arbisser will lead our very musical and inspiring Services. Childcare is available.

Main Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Saturday, Sept 19, 9:30 AM
Sunday, September 20, 9:30 AM

Yom Kippur:
Kol Nidre, Sunday, Sept 27th - 6:30 PM
Monday, September 28th, 9:30 AM
Monday, Sept 28 - 6:30 PM

To Register:
Please contact Donna, synagogue administrator, at 212-724-7000. Each adult seat is $395 for non-members. There is no charge for children's seats.

To Learn More About Society for the Advancement of Judaism, Please Visit Their Website: www.thesaj.org

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Synagogues In New Jersey

Bnai Keshet
Location of Service:
In order to accommodate those who desire to attend through our open seat policy, the location of services shall be at the following (except as otherwise noted): Central Presbyterian Church, 46 Park Street (@Claremont Ave.), Montclair, NJ

The services at the synagogue: 99 South Fullerton Avenue (@Hawthorne Ave), Montclair, NJ 07042

Service Description:
Bnai Keshet is a vibrant Reconstructionist congregation that values both the individual backgrounds and beliefs of its diverse members and our shared historical traditions. Our High Holiday services, led jointly by our Rabbis and congregation members, are soulful and song-filled. All visitors are welcome to join us for prayer, study and lively discussion.We will have CART (Captioning for People with Hearing Loss) at most services.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 7:30 PM at Central Presbyterian Church, CART

Saturday, September 19, 9:00 AM at Central Presbyterian Church, CART
9:30 - 10:30 AM, Young Family Services (tots - 2nd Grade)
10:30 - 11:30 AM, Junior Congregation Services (3rd - 6th Grade)

Sunday, September 20 at Bnai Keshet
9:00 AM Shacharit Service
9:30 AM Young Family Services (tots - 2nd Grade
10:30 AM Junior Congregation Services (3rd - 6th Grade)
4:15 PM Afternoon service at Edgemont Park in Montclair (at Bnai Keshetif raining)
4:30 PM Tashlich at Edgemont Park (at Bnai Keshet if raining)

Yom Kippur: at Central Presbyterian Church
Sunday, September 27, 6:15PM - Erev Yom Kippur - Kol Nidre, CART

Monday, September 28, 9:00 AM CART
9:30 AM, Young Family Services (tots - 2nd Grade)
10:30 AM, Junior Congregation Services (3rd - 6th Grade)
4:00 PM Afternoon Servic
5:00 PM Neilah (Concluding Service)

To Register: Please call Fred at the office to register at (973) 746-4889. We request that non-members make a voluntary donation. The recommended amount is $200 per family for the complete High Holiday season. To Learn More About Bnai Keshet, Please Visit Their Website: www.bnaikeshet.org

Congregation Beth Hatikvah
Location of Service:
36 Chatham Road
Summit, NJ 07901-1314

Service Description:
We would be delighted to have you join us for the High Holiday services this year in our home in Summit, New Jersey. We have again planned a rich and varied program of worship and study, with engaging activities for young people as well. You’ll find a warm and spiritually uplifting environment, whether you come from a traditionally observant background or have come to Judaism recently. Our programming includes services on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur, with age-appropriate programming for young children through teenagers. Babysitting is available for the youngest children. Our diverse music, led by our own congregants, features both traditional as well as modern melodies, which accentuates our community experience. In addition to our services, we offer simultaneous alternative programming. These sessions cover Jewish themes and are led as discussions by congregant moderators. Finally, we end the services on Yom Kippur with our long-standing community Break-the-Fast.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 7:30 PM
Saturday, September 19, 9:30 AM Regular Service and Youth Programming
2:30 PM Family Service
Sunday, September 20, 9:30 AM Regular Service
4:00 pm Tashlich

Yom Kippur:
Kol Nidre, Sunday September 27, 7:00 PM
Monday, September 28, 9:30 AM, Regular Service and Youth Programming
2:00 PM Themed Discussions
2:30 PM Family Service
4:00 PM Afternoon Service, Yizkor (Remembrance Service)
Ne’ilah (Concluding Service)

6:30 PM Community Break-the-Fast

To Register: Use our new online registration with complete schedule and information at www.bethhatikvah.org/high_holidays.html, or speak to Andrea in our office at 908-277-0200. Our 2:30 pm Family Service is free of charge.

To Learn More About Congregation Beth Hatikvah, Please Visit Their Website:
www.bethhatikvah.org

String of Pearls

Location of Services:
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton
50 Cherry Hill Road
Princeton, NJ 08540

Service Description:
It would be our pleasure to have you join us for the High Holidays. We will have a full complement of services and special events from Erev Rosh Hashanah through Ne’ilah. Our Rabbi and Education Director Donna Kirshbaum, who also enriches our gatherings with her extensive musical background, will conduct all services.

Since our founding in 1991, we have been a proudly diverse and inclusive congregation joyfully recognizing the tremendous range of Jewish practices. As such, we offer a String of Pearls blend of the traditional with the not so traditional. We do not send a goat off into Azazael, but we do have our children visit a local farm on Yom Kippur and hear a reading of a specially prepared children’s story written by our Rabbi!

To extend and enhance our time together, after morning services on Rosh Hashana and after Ne’ilah, all congregants and guests are invited to a communal, celebratory, dairy potluck meal.

Believing in the integration of community, worship, and study—all placed in motion by acts of loving kindness (gemulit hasadim) and repair of the world (tikkun olam), we will be collecting food for donation to local charities at both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, with the goal of beating our last year’s donation of over a half ton of food!

We see ourselves as an extended family, hoping to create for all the experience of a nurturing, intimate, and flexible community. Whether you are interested in becoming a Pearl, or want to find out more about our Hebrew School, or would like to visit our early September Open Houses or High Holidays, we would love to hear from you.

We do not use High Holiday tickets or reserved seating; we have truly “open seats,” although voluntary donations are most welcome and appreciated. Childcare will be provided during daytime services for those who reserve in advance.

Service Dates and Times:
Friday, September 18, Erev Rosh Hashanah, 8 to 9:30 PM

Saturday, September 19, Rosh Hashanah Children Service, 9:30 to 10:00 AM
Rosh Hashanah Morning Service, 10 AM to 12:30 PM
Community Potluck Lunch 12:30 PM

Sunday, October 8 Kol Nidre, 8 to 9:30 PM

Thursday, October 9 Yom Kippur Morning Service, 10 AM to 1:00 PM (includes yizkor)
Children’s Activity at Phinney Farm, 10 AM to noon
Afternoon Workshops, 2 PM to 5 PM (schedule of topics will be available)
Reading of the Book of Jonah 5 PM
Ne’ilah 6:15 PM
Community Potluck Break-the-Fast

For information: Call the String of Pearls office at 609-430-0025.

To learn more about String of Pearls, please visit their website: www.stringofpearlsweb.org

Reconstructionist Temple Beth Israel
Location of Service:
34 West Magnolia Avenue (off Maywood Avenue)
Maywood, NJ 07607
(Easy access from Routes 17 and 4, near Paramus and Hackensack)

Service Description:
High Holiday services at RTBI offer a ritually satisfying experience infused with contemporary touches that invite full participation. We have tailored and trimmed our services to meet the needs and desires of our community, including alternate readings, torah study and lively discussion. Our Family Service gives young children a taste of the holidays. We use the Kol Haneshama machzor (prayerbook).

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18th, 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 19th, 10:00 AM, Family Service from 11:00AM-12:00PM
Sunday, September 20, 10:00 AM with torah discussion

Yom Kippur:
Kol Nidre, Sunday, September 27, 6:15 PM;
Monday, September 28, 10:00 AM; Family Service from 11:00AM-12:00PM;
Mincha/Ne'ilah including torah discussion 6:00 PM

To Register:
Tickets are $150 for adults and $50 for teens. College Students have free admission with a valid ID. Family Services are free. To register, contact Caryn either by email, info@rtbi-online.com, or at the synagogue office 201-845-7550 extension 2.

To Learn More About Reconstructionist Temple Beth Israel, Please Visit Their Website:
www.rtbi-online.org

Congregation Kehilat Shalom
Location of Service:
(Princeton Area)
253 Belle Mead-Griggstown Road
Belle Mead NJ 08502

Service Description:
Congregation Kehilat Shalom is a welcoming Reconstructionist synagogue dedicated to serving the spiritual, educational, cultural, civic and social needs of a diverse congregation while maintaining a unique and vibrant Jewish presence in central New Jersey. Our synagogue has been serving the Jewish community in the greater Princeton area since 1982. Our dynamic and compassionate spiritual leader is Rabbi Susan L. Falk. Kate Fridkis, our lay cantor, joins Rabbi Falk in leading High Holiday and B'nai Mitzvah services with her beautiful musical expression. Our Synagogue offers Hebrew School (K-7), Post B'nei Mitzvah Program, Kehi-Loft, Adult Education Programs, a non-sectarian pre-school, Kindercapers and much more.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18th, 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 19th
Main Service, 9:30 AM Children's Service, 11:00 AMA Family Tashlikh hike to Pike Creek, 4:15 PM
Sunday, September 20th, 9:30 AM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27th, 6:15 PM Kol Nidre Service
Monday, September 28th
Main Service, 9:30 AM Children's Service, 11:00 AM Yizkor (Remembrance) service, 1:00 PM Avodah Service, 5:00 PM (Alternative Service)
Neilah Service, 5:45 PM Shofar Blowing, Communal Break-the-fast, 6:45 PM

To Register: Tickets are free. To register for tickets, visit our web site at www.kehilatshalomnj.org or call the Temple office (908-359-0420).

To Learn More About Congregation Kehilat Shalom, Please Visit Their Website: www.kehilatshalomnj.org

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Synagogues On Long Island

Kehillath Shalom
Location of Service:
A local church in Huntington Station, NY (further information given at registration)

Service Description:
Something Old ... Something New ... Something Kosher ... Something For All To Do!
If you're searching for a captivating High Holy Day service this year that has a little of that "something old, something new" feel to it, join Kehillath Shalom Synagogue in Huntington, Long Island, and we promise you won't be disappointed. You'll find a warm and spiritually invigorating community that prides itself on making all who join us feel welcome. Rabbi Arthur Schwartz always has thought-provoking commentary on the current state of Jewish affairs, while our delightful Cantor Deborah Zeitlen and our choir engage us with new versions of traditional songs and old favorites. There is also a separate children's service that features musicians, puppets, laughs, along with a professional storyteller, plus an additional supervised teen service where older children will feel comfortable and accepted as they discuss relevant teen topics, viewpoints and concerns with their peers. It all adds up to a very refreshing and enjoyable experience for all as we welcome in the New Year! Please join us - non-members are always welcome. L'Shana Tova!

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 7 PM
Saturday, September 19, 10 AM, Children's Service 10 AM
Sunday, September 20, 10AM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, Kol Nidre, 7 PM
Monday, September 28, 10 AM, Children's Service 10 AM
Yizkor (Remembrance Service) 5 PM

To Register:
Call the office at 631-367-4598.
Or email at kehillathshalom@optonline.net.
We suggest a donation of $136 per seat.

To Learn More About Kehillath Shalom, Please Visit The Website:
www.kehillathshalom.org

Location of Service:
36 Franklin Ave
Hewlett, NY 11557

Service Description:
High Holiday services at Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth are a blend of tradition and creativity. We base our service on the traditional prayers that speak to every heart interspersed with readings and interpretations that are meaningful today; we also like to sing a lot! In our study periods we wrestle with issues that are on our minds today: identity, spirituality, making the world a better place for all people. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, everyone feels welcome at RCBE. Our services offer time for contemplation and time for discussion as well as an opportunity to connect with our community.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 8-10 PM
Saturday, September 19, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Sunday, September 20, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Family Service 12 PM - 1 PM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, 7-10 PM
Monday, September 28, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM,
Afternoon Service 6-7 PM
Concluding Service followed by Break-Fast 7:15-9:30 PM

To Register:
Contact: Rabbi Elliot Skiddell or Rita Farber, Office Manager 516-374-9220. Services open to non-members. Member tickets are free. First year membership is free. Non-member tickets are $300 but no one will be turned away. Break-the-Fast is by reservation only. Call Rita to reserve space and for cost.

Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore
Location of Service:
1001 Plandome Road
Plandome, NY 11030

Service Description:
We welcome you to join us for High Holiday family services. These are abbreviated programs for families with children held the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. We offer a warm welcoming community and hope you will join us! Tickets must be picked up in advance at the synagogue office.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah: Saturday, September 19, 2:30 PM
Yom Kippur: Monday, September 28, 2:30 PM

To Register:
Please contact Sharon or Sylvia in our synagogue office in our synagogue office at 516-627-6274. The tickets are free of charge.

To Learn More About Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore, Please Visit Their Website:
www.rsns.org

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Synagogues In Westchester

Bet Am Shalom Synagogue
Location of Service:
295 Soundview Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606

Service Description:
The enormous Holy Day tent on our wide back lawn that is used for High Holy Day services is emblematic of our welcoming approach. Guests may attend the main service in the tent and/or the family service in our new sanctuary. There is no assigned seating and no tickets are required. We request a voluntary contribution but will turn no one away. Registration, however, is strongly requested (see below).

Our services mix serious prayer, joyful singing, and thoughtful intellectual content. As led by our rabbi, Lester Bronstein, and his wife, Cantor Benjie Schiller, High Holy Day services at Bet Am Shalom are at once unusual and traditional. Shacharit (the early morning service) is led by congregants so the rabbi is free to lead young families in prayer at the one-hour Family Service; in the main service Torah and Haftorah portions are chanted entirely by our post b’nai mitzvah teens; a congregant choral group presents a musical program during the Martyrology, and the d’vrei torah (sermons) are given both by our rabbi and by congregants. All the while, we are acutely aware of the glorious natural surroundings: when we pray outdoors, the beauty of Nature, or the work of God, is palpable. The commonality of purpose as we come together as a community, in contemplation and celebration of this most beautiful season, lifts us all.

Our tent represents our community and its tradition of intimacy at its best. There is casualness to the scene (children are welcome to play on the lawn beyond the service) yet the dignity that allows for reflection and individual response. Rain or shine, we are all together, like our ancestors were as they traveled in the wilderness. Join us as we welcome in a sweet new year.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 6:15 PM (approximately one hour)
Saturday, September 19, 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM; Family Service with the Rabbi in the Main Sanctuary 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
(Note: Following the conclusion of the Family Service, children’s programs will be offered for ages 4-12 until 12:15. Age appropriate activities tentatively include drama, singing, games, and discussion. A healthful snack will be provided. The High Holy Day Children’s Program will be staffed by our faculty and facilitated by some of our teens. Children’s programs are also offered following Family Services on September 20 and 28.)

Erev (Evening) Second Day of Rosh Hashanah Service 6:45 PM

Sunday, September 20 Morning Service 9:30 AM – approx 2:00 PM
Family Service with the Rabbi - Main Sanctuary 9:30-10:30 PM
Children’s Programs follow; see above

Tashlikh 6:00 PM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, Kol Nidrey 6:25 PM
Monday, September 28, Yom Kippur morning 9:30 AM
Family Service with the Rabbi – Main Sanctuary 9:30-10:30 AM
Children’s Programs follow; see above

Study session 3:30-4:45 pm
Mincha 4:45 PM
Ne’ila 6:15 PM
Final Shofar 7:23 PM

To register for these services, please call our office (914) 946-8851.

To learn more about Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, please visit our website, www.betamshalom.org

Hebrew Congregation of Somers
Location of Service:
Cypress Drive
Shenorock, NY 10587

Service Description:
HCS welcomes all first time visitors to join us for high holidays and remain with us for the year -- first year of synagogue membership is free! We have services first and second day of Rosh Hashanah, including a children's service from 10-11 AM both days. We walk as a community to a local lake for Tashlich at 1PM the second day of Rosh Hashanah. On Yom Kippur morning, we again have a Children’s Service from 10:00-11:00 AM in the Social Hall, in addition to our regular service. A group reading and discussion of the Book of Jonah takes place at 3:30 PM, followed by N’eilah (concluding service), at approximately 5:30 PM. Final sounding of the shofar is followed by a community break-fast, to which all are invited!

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 7:00PM
Saturday, September 19, 9:00AM, Children’s Services 10:00-11:00AM
Sunday September 20, 9:00AM, Children’s Activities 10:00-11:00AM, Tashlich 1PM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27, 7 PM
Monday, September 28, 9:00 AM, Children’s Service 10:00-11:00 AM, Reading the Book of Jonah 3:30 PM, Evening Service, 5:30 PM
Final sounding of the shofar will be followed by break-fast at sunset

To Register:
High Holiday tickets for newcomers and first year of membership are free of charge. For these tickets, call Ellen Most at 914-528-1517.

Other tickets are $175 per person for residents of Westchester, Putnam, or Dutchess Counties and $75 per person outside this area. For these tickets, please email info@hebrewcongregationofsomers.org or call the synagogue office at 914-248-9532 and leave a message

To Learn More About Hebrew Congregation of Somers, Please Visit Their Website:
www.hebrewcongregationofsomers.org

Mishkan Ha’am
Location of Service:
Park Hill Raquet Club
Van Cortlandt Park Avenue at Lakeside Drive, Yonkers

Service Description:
Spend the High Holidays with Mishkan Ha'am, the Westchester/Riverdale Reconstructionist Group. Warm and welcoming High Holiday services led by Rabbi Ben Weiner. No Tickets or Advance Registration Required. We welcome seniors, singles, parents with children of all ages, gay and lesbian and interfaith households to share in the meaning, inspiration, song, and discussion.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 7-8:30 PM
Saturday, September 19, 9:45 AM-12:30 PM (includes children's program)
Sunday, September 20, 10:15 AM-12:30 PM (this is a child-friendly
service designed for all ages)

Tashlich at Tibbets Park, Yonkers, Sunday September 20th, 12:45-1:45PM
(after services, open to all ages)

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 27th, 7-9PM
Mondat, September 28th, 9:45 AM -12:30 PM, Walk in the Woods, 12:25,
Jonah text study 5 PM
Jonah storytelling, 5 PM
Concluding service, 6 PM, Followed by a communal break fast

To Register:
Call (914) 478-4996

To Learn More About Mishkan Ha’am, Please Visit Their Website: www.mishkanhaam.org

Mvakshe Derekh
Location of Service:
133 Popham Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583
info@mvakshederekh.org | 914-725-3064

Service Description:
Our synagogue occupies a very special place in the Westchester Jewish community. It's our place and we'd like it to be your place, too. We are a mishpacha, a family. We welcome members from a variety of life situations, backgrounds, political and religious perspectives. Each of us brings to the community unique interests, talents and needs. We have strong commitments to both tradition and the search for contemporary meaning. Through prayer, both Hebrew and English, we forge a connection with the past and with other Jews. Through dialogue and Torah study, we explore the connections between text, tradition, history, culture and the issues that confront Jews living in an open democratic society.

Service Dates and Times:
Rosh Hashanah:
Friday, September 18, 6:30 PM
Saturday, September 19, 10 AM
Sunday, September 19, 10 AM

Yom Kippur:
Sunday, September 26, 6:15 PM
Monday, September 27, 10 AM

To register call 914-725-3064.
Tickets are $175.00 per person for non-members

To learn more about Congregation M'vakshe Derekh
www.mvakshederekh.org

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Total Participating Synagogues: 12

High Holiday Open Seats is a NY/NJ regional site which connects people to congregations with extra space on the High Holidays. Participating congregations are from the Reconstructionist movement, a movement welcoming of interfaith couples, gays and lesbians, and multiracial families. In addition, some of our congregations offer free High Holiday tickets.

For more information about the Open Seats Campaign, please contact Rabbi Hannah Greenstein, Outreach Coordinator for the JRF NY/NJ at 212-870-2484.

The Open Seats campaign was made possible due to a generous gift from the UJA-Federation.