Shabbat Shuvah

Shabbat Shuvah: The Shabbat “Between”

Shabbat Shuvah, the special Shabbat that occurs between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, highlights the ethical teachings of the Torah as we prepare for atonement on Yom Kippur.

Saturday, September 23, 10 a.m.

• Glazer Campus Rabbi Eshel and Cantor Ettinger
• Irmas Campus Rabbi Leder and Cantor Gurney

Tashlich

Each year, we symbolically cast off our sins by writing them out on the sand and watching the waves wash them away.

Tashlich Picnic at the Beach

Sunday, September 24, 4 p.m.

Santa Monica Beach at Ocean Park Blvd. and Neilson Way Rabbi Nanus and Cantor Ettinger
Our ritual Tashlich service with live music, prayer, story-telling, and the blowing of the shofar celebrates the New Year in a beautiful, natural setting. Wear white and bring along family, friends, and a picnic dinner.

Yom Kippur

Prayer, music, repentance, and fasting contribute to the solemnity of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On this day, we put aside our physical desires and connect with our spiritual needs. We admit our shortcomings in the deep recesses of our souls. We pray for the repair of our insensitive hearts with compassion and love. We remember those loved ones who are no longer with us. And we ask for the blessing of life for another year.

Yom Kippur Day Services

Saturday, September 30, Glazer Campus

Kol Nidrei

The stirring strains of the cello playing “Kol Nidrei” pierce our hearts as we sit together as one congregation engaged in deep contemplation and prayer. “All vows are canceled...we start anew.”

Friday evening, September 29, Glazer Campus

Sukkot

Sukkot, which means “booths” or “huts,” is a celebration of thanksgiving for the fall harvest as well as the commemoration of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert after Sinai. Sukkot is a wonderful opportunity for family, friends, and community to connect, share a meal, and appreciate nature’s bounty. The children in our schools (Brawerman Elementary School, Mann and Glazer Early Childhood Centers, and Religious School) will celebrate Sukkot with special activities and celebrations during regular school hours.

Simchat Torah

On Simchat Torah we commemorate the completion of the annual reading of the Torah: the Torah scrolls are taken from the ark and we dance to joyous music and song; the concluding passages of Deuteronomy are read rst, then the opening section of Genesis. We never stop reading the Torah. We end only to begin again. The children in our schools (Brawerman Elementary School, Mann and Glazer Early Childhood Centers, and Religious School) will celebrate Simchat Torah with special activities and celebrations during regular school hours.

Simchat Torah Extravaganza

Thursday, October 12, 6:30 p.m., Glazer Campus

On Simchat Torah, come dance the hora! And eat, sing, pray and unroll the Torah scroll. With music from both the Nefesh band and a klezmer band, a special Simchat Torah dinner, dancing and singing with the
Torah. We invite you to chant the first verse of your Bar/Bat Mitzvah portion. All ages welcome to this joyful event.

Nefesh

Nefesh is an open hearted spiritual community of Wilshire Boulevard Temple led by Rabbi Susan Goldberg and the Nefesh musicians Duvid Swirsky, Sally Dworsky and Ari Herstand. All are warmly welcome to join with us throughout the year on Shabbat and all of the holidays. The services are dynamic, music filled, spiritual experiences.

Join us as we engage in lively discussions, meaningful teachings, intentions כוונות† for the prayers and connect our ancient liturgy to the present moment.

Nefesh Services