KSSMA'S VIRTUAL MINYANIM:
Every Monday, Thursday and Saturday morning at 9:00 am
In these extraordinary times, it is more vital than ever that we maintain our sense of community and closeness. Although we may not be able to be together physically, please join us in joyous prayer virtually via Zoom.
- If you don't already have the app, it's a free download at www.zoom.us
- You will need to contact us in advance to get the passwords (for security purposes. Zoom has recently made this a requirement, sorry) at shalomsanmiguel@gmail.com.
- At the time of the services, all you need do is enter the meeting # (different for each service) and then the password. Oh, and please remember to mute your microphone.
- If you wish to download the Siddur that we are using, please contact us at shalomsanmiguel@gmail.com (or of course you may follow along in your own, if you prefer.)
- At CHESMA, we don't believe in the "pay to pray" model, but please feel free to donate to your favorite charity (like us, for instance!)
Stay safe everyone!!
Well, we are certainly living though "interesting" times due to the pandemic. Monitoring the situation around the world, especially the resurgence of cases in many parts of the US upon re-opening of businesses and houses of worship,the question of when to re-open the JC3 is very much on our minds. Of course, much depends on factors far beyond our control.
The Board of CHESMA, AC has voted to take the following provisional plans for safe High Holiday services this year:
- For the health and well-being of everyone concerned, there will be no open public HH services at the JC3.
- We will be broadcasting all High Holiday services from the JC3 via Zoom for all who interested in attending.
- To allow for a traditional service and Torah reading according to Conservative halachic standards, a physical minyan (10 souls, only!) will be present at the JC3 (with appropriate distancing and masks, etc.), in compliance with local and federal guidelines. If you would like to commit yourself to be physically present to be counted in these minyanim, please contact Dan Lessner (eldoctordaniel@hotmail.com) ASAP.
- There will be no community dinners, kiddush luncheons, or break-the-fast meals.
- Since the blowing of the shofar (on Sunday, Sept. 20th) needs to be heard "live", we will be scheduling a shofar service outdoors, along with tashlich, at the Parque Landeta (next to the Botanical Gardens, "El Charco"). Everyone who is able to may attend in person, keeping social distancing/masks, etc.
- We are certainly aware that High Holiday services are normally quite long, and some people might find staring at their computer screens for 5 hours rather, er, challenging! We have posted a schedule that we'll try to keep to as closely as possible--please feel free to come and go as you are able; we have no problem whatsoever with this, but we ask that you please remember to mute your microphones to minimize disrupting the prayer and concentration of others. Thank you.
The coronavirus pandemic has certainly been challenging to all of us, but there was a sliver of a silver lining in regards to our High Holiday planning. In years past, several members of CHESMA have expressed a desire for less traditional religious services. Although we have tried several times to present an alternative, Reform-style service (thanks to our very own Carole Stone), these have generally not been well-attended.
Ah, but this year the pandemic has spawned many Zoom services, and we were able to get permission from several Reform rabbis in the States for our members to attend their communities' virtual services. Choice is good!
Please see below for your very own smorgasbord of options this year. You are welcome, of course, to log on to KSSMA's Conservative traditional/egalitarian Hebrew-dominant services (with English and Spanish readings), or choose from 4 other venues (predominantly in English, except for Bet-El, which will be in Spanish and Hebrew):
KSSMA's Schedule for
High Holy Days 5781
Saturday, September 12: SELICHOT 8:30 pm
Brief Havdalah service followed by our annual Selichot service
Zoom Meeting ID 872-1903-4600 (contact us for the password).
Friday, September 18: EREV ROSH HASHANAH/SHABBAT 7:15 pm
Join us in welcoming the Sabbath as well as New Year 5781!
Zoom Meeting ID 871-7408-7662 (contact us for the password).
Saturday, September 19: ROSH HASHANAH DAY 1/SHABBAT Morning Service
Zoom Meeting ID 840-8660-1710 (contact us for the password).
9:00 am—Shacharit for Yom Tov and Shabbat
10:30 am—Torah service
11:15 am—Mussaf for Yom Tov and Shabbat
Sunday, September 20: ROSH HASHANAH DAY 2
Zoom Meeting ID 840-4448-7235 (contact us for the password).
9:00 am—Shacharit for Yom Tov
10:30 am—Torah service, Shofar service
11: 30 am—Mussaf for Yom Tov
1:30 pm—Tashlich and (socially distanced/ outdoors) Shofar service at the Parque Landeta
Sunday, September 27: EREV YOM KIPPUR
Zoom Meeting ID 864-0123-1166 (contact us for the password).
7:00 pm—Kol Nidrei service
Monday, September 28: YOM KIPPUR
Zoom Meeting ID 861-2429-3364 (contact us for the password).
9:00 am—Shacharit for YK
10:30 am—Torah service
11:15 am—Yizkor
11:45 am—Mussaf for YK
Break
5:30 pm – Minchah for YK
7:00 pm –Ne’ilah for YK
8:06 pm –Shofar blast/Havdalah
Alternative venues:
- Free Synagogue of Flushing--Queens, NY (Reform): freesynagogueflushing.org/
- Temple Sinai-- Saratoga Springs, NY, Rabbis Jonathan Rubenstein and Linda Motzkin (Reform): office@saratogasinai.org
- Congregation Beth Shalom--Auburn, Alabama; Rabbi Arturo Kalfus and Phyllis Meyers (Reform):
contact us for the Zoom links and schedule-- shalomsanmiguel@gmail.com
- Bet-El--CDMX (Conservative, in Hebrew and Spanish; a shorter, "musical service": betel.org.mx/
You will need to make reservations for your chosen service by contacting them directly (except for Rabbi Kalfus' services). They will email you their Zoom Meeting ID and passwords. Please keep in mind that some of these communities have limited space for non-members. That being said, a voluntary contribution to their community is never inappropriate.
