Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- days of sweetness and atonement - are the culmination of a month-long process of coming back to God. During the High Holidays, we embrace the study and beauty of the Torah and rejoice with prayer and song.

2009 HIGH HOLIDAY INFORMATION

We are pleased to announce that our 2009 High Holiday Services will be held at the Bergen Perform Arts Center located at 31 North Van Brunt Street (1 block north of Palisades Avenue) in Englewood, New Jersey on the following dates and times:

Erev Rosh Hashanah

Friday September 18 7:30 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah Morning Service

Saturday September 19 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Children’s Service

Saturday September 19 2 p.m.

2nd Day Rosh Hashanah

Sunday September 20 10:30 a.m. in Alpine (1 Old Dock Rd.)

Kol Nidre

Sunday September 27 7:30 p.m.

Yom Kippur Morning Service

Monday September 28 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Children’s Service

Monday September 28 2 p.m.

Afternoon and Yizkor Service

Monday September 28 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

We request that you send in your ticket requests early. Your membership dues include tickets for you and your children through college age. They may not be purchased for non members living in Bergen County or given to them for admission to services You may purchase additional tickets for visiting family members at $100 per person. By special arrangement, non-member tickets can be purchased for $125 per person.

Only those with tickets will be admitted to services.

Family Member Name All Services Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur

Phone#:___________________Office#:_______________E-mail Address:________________

For Payment By Credit Card : Visa MasterCard

Total Amount of Charge: $___________________
Cardholder Name
Name on the Account: __________________________________ ___________
(Print Name) (Signature)
Account Number:


Expiration Date:
Your contribution is tax deductible as permitted by law.

P.O. Box 417, Tenafly, NJ 07670 ? (201) 567-7806 ? Fax: (201) 567-5551 ? E-Mail: ChavBethShalom@aol.com
www.mychavurah.com


DIRECTIONS FOR HIGH HOLY DAYS:

Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 N. Van Brunt Street
Englewood, New Jersey 07631
(201) 816-8160 (office)
(201) 227-1030 (box office)

Conveniently located just minutes from the George Washington Bridge, bergenPAC is within easy access of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Westchester and Rockland counties. The Center’s location in downtown Englewood provides a safe suburban setting with free parking and a wide selection of outstanding restaurants and cafés nearby. You'll also find an array of art galleries and shops displaying antiques, gifts and crafts, and fashions – all within walking distance.

From Route 4 East/West
Exit right at Englewood/Grand Ave. Go north on Grand Ave. to Palisade Ave. (about 1 mile). Turn left and go two blocks to North Van Brunt St. (immediately after railroad tracks). Turn right. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

From Route 17 North/South
Route 17 North or South to Route 4 East. Follow directions "From Route 4 East/West."

From George Washington Bridge
Take Route 4 West exit. Follow directions for Route 4 West above. Or: Take the Palisades Interstate Parkway North to Exit 1. Turn right off the exit ramp onto Palisade Ave. Go down the hill (about 2 miles), and make an immediate right after the railroad tracks onto North Van Brunt St. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

From NJ Turnpike
95 North (Local) toward GWB to Exit 71 (Broad Ave.). Turn right onto Broad Ave. Stay on Broad. Broad becomes Dana Place. At the end of Dana, turn left at traffic light onto Palisade Ave. Make right after the railroad tracks. bergenPAC is on the left.

From Route 80
Take Route 80 East (local lane). 80 and 95 merge in Teaneck. Follow directions "From NJ Turnpike."

From Nyack Area
Take Palisades Interstate Parkway South to Exit 1. Turn right off the exit ramp onto Palisade Ave. Go down the hill (about 2 miles), make an immediate right after the railroad tracks onto North Van Brunt St. bergenPAC is in the middle of the block on the left.

NJ TRANSIT BUS SERVICE TO BERGEN PAC
Take the #166, #178, #186, #756 or #780 bus to the Van Brunt St. & Palisade Ave. stop in Englewood. For a list of the towns serviced by these bus routes.

RED & TAN BUS SERVICE TO BERGEN PAC
Take the #11A, #20, or #14 bus to the Van Brunt St. & Palisade Ave. stop in Englewood. For a list of the towns serviced by these bus routes.

For more information, contact the Chavurah at 201.567.7806 or email ChavBethShalom@aol.com or see our home page under what's new for all of our High Holy Day information.


Rosh HaShanah History
The origin of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, is Biblical (Lev. 23:23-25): "a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts (of the Shofar, the ram's horn)." The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the Shofar) and Yom Zikaron Teruah (the day of remembering the sounding of the Shofar).

In Talmudic times, Rosh HaShanah became a celebration of the anniversary of the world's creation and a day of self-examination, repentance and judgment. While the day was called Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance) and Yom HaDin (Judgment Day), the name Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year) was first used in the Mishnah has become the most prevalent.

Rosh HaShanah is both a solemn and happy day. It is a time for introspection, asking for forgiveness, giving forgiveness, resolving to do better, remembering God is our King and Judge, and praying for a healthy and happy year to come. We are solemn in our repentance, but happy in our confidence that God is merciful and good.


Yom Kippur History
Repentance (teshuva) is the theme of Yom Kippur. While our sins alienate us from God, our repentance reconciles us with God. On Yom Kippur, we ask for God to forgive us for our sins.

The first Yom Kippur occurred when Moses descended Mount Sinai with the second set of Tablets, a symbol of the renegotiated covenant between God and the Jewish People. The Israelites alienated God by worshipping the golden calf. Moses ascended Mount Sinai to ask God for forgiveness. The Israelites repented by fasting during the day while Moses was on the mountain. On the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (Yom Kippur), Moses descended Mount Sinai with the second Tablets.

God decreed the tenth day of the month of Tishrei as a day of atonement:

"Let it be a statute for you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall starve your vital energies and do no manner of work.... For on this day it shall bring atonement upon you, to purify you, before God shall you become pure of all your aberrations." (Vayikra/Leviticus 16: 29-30)

Just as the Israelites alienated God with their unfaithful behavior, some of our behavior during the year has also alienated us from God. Just as the Israelites repented for their sins, we also repent for our sins. Praying and fasting enables us to envision the divine image that lives in each of us. Just as God forgave the Israelites on the tenth of Tishrei, it is our hope that God will forgive us on Yom Kippur.