High Holidays

CRC's High Holiday services are free and open to the public with no tickets required. Services are held at the Chase Park Plaza at Kingshighway & Lindell and at CRC. We invite you to join us for these holiest of days as we usher in the new year together.

2011 Yom Kippur Schedule:

Friday, October 7, 2011

8:00 pm - Kol Nidre Service, Chase Park Plaza

Saturday, October 8, 2011

10:00 am - Yom Kippur Service, Chase Park Plaza

10:00 am - Yom Kippur Alternative Service, CRC

1:00 pm - Yom Kippur Study Sessions, Chase Park Plaza (Details Below)

3:30 pm - Yom Kippur Children's Service, Chase Park Plaza

4:30 pm - Yiskor and Concluding Service, Chase Park Plaza

Yom Kippur Study Sessions

Click here for a description of this year's study sessions! All sessions are held in the Lindell Rooms at the Chase Park Plaza, between morning services and Yizkor/Concluding services. All are welcome!

High Holiday Readings

Member readings are an important and unique part of CRC's High Holiday services, allowing the members of our community to enhance our experience by sharing their own teachings. Click here to download this year's readings:

Grace by Elizabeth Tucker
The Story of the Sultan by Bill and Kathy Sitzer
Tikkun Olam by Marilyn Probe
Bouncing Back by Andrea Kaiser
I Love Yom Kippur by Karen Kalish
Grading Software by Julie Hundman

Other Important Information

Security: As in previous years, we will have the presence of both uniformed and plain clothes officers as well as the complete cooperation and support of the St. Louis Police Department. We want our holidays to be welcoming and our services to be a Shelter of Peace for all who attend. Please note the following information to help ensure safety for our members and guests:

Please do not arrive at services more than one hour before start time.

There will be one primary entrance into the Chase's Khorassan room. Other entrances will be closed. We ask that our members and guests please respect and help enforce this policy.

Please avoid carrying large purses, satchels, book bags, etc. into the Khorassan Room. An officer may ask to check your bag; your cooperation and understanding will be appreciated.

About the High Holidays

Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur - together known as the "High Holidays," "High Holy Days," or "Days of Awe," are the holiest days of the Jewish year. "For over 2,000 years, the High Holidays have been celebrated as a time for judgment, remembrance, and t'shuvah ('return' or 'repentance'). While every other holiday commemorates a transition in nature or an historic event, the High Holidays don't--they focus on people and their relationship to God."*

During the High Holidays we substitute our weekly prayer book, or siddur, with a special prayerbook called a machzor. Click to preview and/or download CRC's machzor and machzor's cover.

Rosh HaShanah - Happy New Year

Rosh HaShanah is a time for remembrance--a time to review and take responsibility for our actions and words during the past year. We work at reconciling our offenses to others and to God. We begin the process of self-forgiveness and of forgiving others and reconciliation. We wish each other a sweet new year celebrating with apples and honey.

"Rosh HaShanah arrives like a 'wake-up call' just before winter, offering a chance to renew and refresh your intentions, your priorities, and your sense of spiritual connectedness."*

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

On Yom Kippur we attone for sins between ourselves and God. T'shuvah is a return to God after recognition of our sins and confession directly to God. Yom Kippur is a fast day and is announced by blasts on the shofar (ram's horn).

* "Judaism for Dummies" by Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D and David Blatner