The Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation will celebrate High Holy Day services in the next few weeks at the synagogue at Santa Margarita 113, Riberas del Pilar. All are welcome.
Rosh Hashanah will be celebrated Sunday, September 29, 6 p.m.; Monday, September 30, 10 a.m. and Tuesday, October 1, 10 a.m.
Tashlikh will be celebrated Monday, September 30, 1:30 p.m. on the Ajijic Malecon Pier
Kol Nidre is celebrated Tuesday, October 8, 6 p.m.
Yom Kippur is celebrated Wednesday, October 9, 10 a.m. and an afternoon service on the same day is at 4 p.m.
Neilah and Break the Fast are celebrated Wednesday, October 9, 5:30 p.m.
There are now fees for attending High Holy Day services.
Rosh Hashanah, (one of Judaism’s holiest days) commemorates God’s creation of the world. It marks the beginning of the Days of Awe — the most sacred annual period in Judaism — a ten-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in Yom Kippur.
According to tradition, God judges all creatures during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Jewish law teaches that God inscribes the names of the righteous in the “book of life” and condemns the wicked to death; people who fall between the two categories have until Yom Kippur to perform “teshuvah” or repentance.
The two-day holiday of Rosh Hashanah is the head of the Jewish year. A delicate blend of joy and solemnity, feasting, prayer and inspiration make up the spiritually charged head of the Jewish year.
The sounding of a shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn, proclaims Rosh Hashanah. The ancient instrument’s cry serves as a call to repentance and a reminder to Jews that God is their king. A festive meal steeped in symbolism and tradition is shared with family and friends. Typically, a blessing will be said over two loaves of bread know as challah. The round shape symbolizes a crown, a reminder of the kingship of God. It also stands for the circle of life, and the hope that our lives endure without end. Apples dipped in honey, another RH tradition symbolizes the hope for a sweet year.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement — is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith. It is the holiest day of the year – the day on which we are closest to God and to the quintessence of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement: For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before God. (Leviticus 16:30) It marks the culmination of the 10 Days of Awe. It begins on the evening of October 8. For nearly 26 hours – from several minutes before sunset on October 8 to after nightfall on October 9 – we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies, do not wear leather footwear. Instead, our time is spent in prayer to God.
Information: lakechapalajewishcongregation.com. or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..