Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

Yom Kippur

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Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Tuesday, September 18     

8:00 p.m.          Kol Nidre – Yom Kippur Eve Service

 

Wednesday, September 19

9:30 a.m.           Yom Kippur Youth Service

11:00 a.m.          Yom Kippur Adult Morning Service

1:00 p.m.          Holy Days Discussion Hour

Yom Kippur is our Day of Atonement, a day that we strive to find favor in the eyes of God. In Islam and Christianity concepts of judgment are often linked to concepts of heaven and hell. During our Yom Kippur discussion hour we will explore concepts of judgment in each of our faiths and how heaven and hell fit into our faith traditions. Pastor Taylor Ince from Sojourn Galleria Church Imam M. Ahmad Khan, the Development Director at Zaytuna College will join us.

2:15 p.m.          Transition & Reflection Period

3:00 p.m.          Afternoon Service

4:00 p.m.          Memorial Service & Concluding Service

At our Yom Kippur Memorial Service, it is our custom to read aloud the names of those whom death has taken from our midst since last year at this season.  Our records, however, may not be completely accurate.

Please help us honor the memory of your loved ones.  If a loved one has passed away this year and you wish to have his/her name read aloud at our Memorial Service on Yom Kippur afternoon, please contact the temple with the following information:

  1. The name of your loved one
  2. The date of death
  3. A phonetic spelling of the name to help with pronunciation

 

Break-the-Fast at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Rosh Hashanah (New Year)

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Sunday, September 9  

8:00 p.m.             Rosh Hashanah Eve Service (Reception will follow this service)

Monday, September 10   

9:30 a.m.            Rosh Hashanah Youth Service

11:00 a.m.            Rosh Hashanah Adult Morning Service

 

Following services, all are invited to join us for a post-service lunch at Le Peep on Woodway.

High Holy Days Schedule 2016

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HIGH HOLY DAYS SCHEDULE 2016

Rosh Hashanah (New Year)

Sunday, October 2
8:00 pm Rosh Hashanah Eve Service (reception to follow)

Monday, October 3
9:30 am Rosh Hashanah Youth Service
11:00 am Rosh Hashanah Adult Morning Service

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Tuesday, October 11
8:00 pm Kol Nidre – Yom Kippur Eve Service

Wednesday, October 12
9:30 am Yom Kippur Youth Service
11:00 am Yom Kippur Adult Morning Service
1:00 pm Holy Days Discussion Hour
2:15 pm Meditation Period
3:00 pm Afternoon Service
4:00 pm Memorial and Concluding Service
Break the Fast at approximately 5:30 pm

High Holy Days Packet 2016

 

Yom Kippur Interfaith Discussion Hour

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Our Yom Kippur discussion hour will focus on issues of Social Justice in society today.

We will be joined by The Rev. Joel Goza of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and The Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr. and.  Rev. Clemons and Rev. Goza are highly instrumental in the comprehensive neighborhood revitalization movement of 5th Ward.

Harvey Clemons

 

Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr.

 

Joel Goza

Rev. Joel Goya

 

 

Every Yom Kippur, we are reminded that our annual Season of Penitence is meaningless unless we strive to translate our repentance and our prayers into action. Through these Days of Awe we are challenged to recognize that the rituals of our faith must be more than simply religious obligations; they must be vehicles for change.  This message is central to the passage we read from Isaiah at our Yom Kippur morning service.

     Is this the fast that I desire, a day of self-affliction?
     No!  This is the fast I desire:
     To unlock the shackles of injustice,
     And untie the cords of the yoke of tyranny
     To let the oppressed go free;
     To break every chain asunder.

     It is to share your bread with the hungry,
     And to take the wretched poor into your home;
     When you see the naked, to clothe him,
     Never withdrawing yourself from your own kin.  (Isaiah 58:5-7)

Isaiah saw great hypocrisy in his people who were sacrificing animals in the name of God, while neglecting to seek ways to make personal sacrifices for the betterment of world around them.  He was repulsed by the notion that a designated day of fasting could direct individuals to deprive themselves of food, while people were starving in the streets.  Today, Isaiah’s sentiments challenge us to try to make our Holy Day experiences vehicles for change.

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High Holy Days Schedule 2014

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Rosh Hashanah (New Year)

Wednesday, September 24
8:00 pm Rosh Hashanah Eve Service (reception to follow)

Thursday, September 25

9:30 am Rosh Hashanah Youth Service
11:00 am Rosh Hashanah Adult Morning Service

 

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Friday, October 3
8:00 pm Kol Nidre – Yom Kippur Eve Service

Saturday, October 4
9:30 am Yom Kippur Youth Service
11:00 am Yom Kippur Adult Morning Service
1:00 pm Holy Days Discussion Hour
2:15 pm Meditation Period
3:00 pm Afternoon Service
4:00 pm Memorial and Concluding Serive
Break the Fast at approximately 5:30 pm