Some of the most important days of our religious year are nearly here—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We will be offering services in-person, online, indoors, and outdoors.
Below is information to help you plan for meaningful High Holidays with our congregational community. Households who have completed their 2023/2024 Annual Financial Commitment are invited to complete the online High Holiday registration form by Friday, August 25. Please only register if you will be attending services in-person. Tickets will be sent automatically via email following your registration. Additional information about member, guest, and reciprocal tickets can be found below.
Please note separate registration forms must be completed for Selichot and Youth Programming in addition to your High Holiday registration for all other services.
Childcare is also available once again this year during morning Sanctuary services! Learn more about childcare below.
If you have questions about any aspect of the High Holidays, please contact the Temple Isaiah office at generalinfo@templeisaiah.net or 781-862-7160. Zoom details for all online services can be found here.
Wishing you and your family Shanah Tovah, a good, sweet, healthy, and happy New Year!
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Schedule
Service Information
Additional Information
Selichot, September 9
Register
| Clergy Panel Discussion | 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm | Temple Emunah & Online |
| Havdalah & Selichot Service with Temple Emunah | 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Temple Emunah & Online |
Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 15
| Sanctuary Service | 8:00 pm - 9:45 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
Rosh Hashanah, September 16
| Contemporary Service | 9:00 am - 10:30 am | Outdoors & Online |
| Sanctuary Service | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Youth Programming (K-5) | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Classrooms |
| Family Tot Service | 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| SMALLY/Makom Teen Service | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Outdoors |
| Tashlich & Shofar Sounding | 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | Lexington Old Reservoir |
Kol Nidre, September 24
| Sanctuary Service | 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
Yom Kippur, September 25
| Contemporary Service | 9:00 am - 10:30 am | Outdoors & Online |
| Sanctuary Service | 11:30 am - 1:30 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Youth Programming (K-5) | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Classrooms |
| Adult Learning | 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm | Outdoors |
| Family Tot Service | 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Mincha (Afternoon) Service | 3:45 pm - 5:30 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Yizkor (Memorial) Service | 5:30 pm - 6:15 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Neilah (Closing) Service | 6:15 pm - 6:45 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
| Havdalah | 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm | Sanctuary & Online |
Sanctuary Services
Sanctuary services are our "main services" and will be held both in the sanctuary and online. This service is appropriate for adults and older children and includes music and formal messages from our rabbis. It will be led by Rabbi Thomashow, Rabbi Battis, and Cantor Doob.
Contemporary Services
This service will bring together the themes and traditions of the High Holidays with creative, participatory, and contemporary music, readings, and story. This alternative service is appropriate for all ages, families together or adults, and will be available outdoors or online. It will be led by Rabbi Thomashow, Rabbi Battis, Rabbi Hertz, and Cantor Doob. New this year, all chairs will be provided under a large tent - no need to bring your own!
Family Tot Services
These services are designed for families with children 0-6 years old and are filled with music, joy, and creativity. This is a wonderful service for prospective members and those with young children.
Tickets
In order to maintain safety throughout the holidays, one must have a ticket to attend any given service or program in-person. Your households ticket will be provided in the confirmation email immediately following your registration, which can be printed out or shown on your phone when you arrive. Only one ticket is needed for your household. No registration is required to attend online. Be on the lookout for an email in September with Zoom details, or check back on this page.
Guests may complete the separate Guest Registration form. Guest tickets are $180 per person and grant entry to all Temple Isaiah High Holiday services for this year. Please be sure to save your ticket, which can be printed out or shown on your phone when you arrive.
Members of other Reform congregations, college students, and military personnel who would like to worship with us may contact the Temple Isaiah office to receive additional information for registering.
Parking for All In-Person Services
The temple parking lot will be designated for use only for those who have requested special assistance on their registration form. This year, the upper parking lot will be closed to all traffic. However, there will be handicapped parking spots available in the lower lot. For those requiring special parking assistance (in the lower lot), please park in designated spaces only.
Parking for all others is available along Lincoln Street, at Lincoln Field, and at the Hayden Recreation Center. There will be one entrance to the temple parking lot for handicap parking, indicated by the red arrows on the image to the right. For drop-off, please use the horseshoe entrance indicated by the yellow arrows. Please see the map and follow signs and our ushers' assistance.
Childcare
Childcare is back for the High Holidays! During morning Sanctuary Services, childcare will be available on-site for children 0-5 years old. Age-appropriate toys and books will be available. You are encouraged to bring your child a nut-free snack. Please register here by August 31.
Youth Programming (K-5)
Temple Isaiah is excited to offer K-5 High Holiday programming on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for students whose parents are worshiping in the sanctuary. Programs will include High Holiday themed crafts, games, and explorations with opportunities to reflect, set goals, and learn about the New Year.
K-5 holiday programming is available to all children between grades K-5, with limited capacity. A separate registration is required for youth programming sessions. Please register here by August 31.
Special Seating Assistance
As part of Temple Isaiah's commitment to ensure that all congregants are welcome and able to actively participate in services, we want to know of any special requests ahead of time so that we can be responsive and prepared. As you register for services, please make note of any special assistance that you may need. We will try out best to accommodate you.
LEFTY Food Drive
Again this year, LEFTY, our high school youth group, will be collecting food to benefit those in need in the greater Boston area. Don't forget to pick up your grocery bag at services on Rosh Hashanah and return non-perishable food items on Yom Kippur. Donations of raisins and whole grain crackers for Family Table will also be accepted and sorted by our teens. In addition, donations can also be made online.
Volunteers
Volunteers are essential for services to run smoothly. Please consider volunteering this year during the High Holidays. As you complete service registration, please sign up to usher for one service or many. Any questions, please contact Rabbi Jodi Seewald Smith, Director of Congregational Engagement.
Holiday Meals to Go
The yummy European and Israeli Boston-based bakery, Bakey, is delivering to Temple Isaiah on Friday, September 15 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm, just in time for Rosh Hashanah! Choose from all of your Rosh Hashanah favorites and place your order beginning September 1. Be sure to add the Temple Isaiah Lexington delivery to your cart to begin. Refrigerated items will not be available for pick up. Place your order here.
Mamaleh's will also be delivering to Temple Isaiah, this time for your break-the-fast meal! Online ordering begins the evening of September 16 for pick up on Sunday, September 24 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm. Remembered to select the Lexington location from the Pick-Ups menu and put it in your cart to begin your order. Place your order here.
Home Blessings
Aspects of the High Holidays have always taken place at home. A festive meal is accompanied by blessings at the outset of Rosh Hashanah and just before Yom Kippur. View the blessings here.
