High Holy Days Information

A Host of Services
At BHC we offer many worship opportunities during the High Holy Days. Refer to the descriptions below to decide which opportunities best fit your needs and those of your family.

Tickets
Tickets for worship at BHC are issued to all paid-up members of the Congregation. Tickets will be sent for children to age 25 to worship with their parents. Each person must present his or her ticket to an usher.

Selichot

On Saturday, September 8, BHC will prepare for the High Holy Days with our observance of Selichot, an evening which combines art, discussion, self-reflection and prayers. A light reception, 8:30 pm, will be followed by a 9 pm program of art and discussion leading into a 10 pm service including Kol Rinnah performing selections from The Hush of Midnight, a Selichot cantata by Charles Davidson.

PROGRAM: Balage Balogh, “Recreating the Ancient Jewish Past in Images: A Visual Journey of Biblical Archaeology from Abraham to the Second  Temple”

Balage Balogh is a freelance artist who has traveled extensively, especially throughout the Middle East. Fascinated by archaeology and Jewish history, he has worked on illustrations for archaelogical projects with  the Israel Museum, the Oriental Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars
BHC’s Erev Rosh Hashanah alternative worship on Sunday, September 16, will be held at Oregon Ridge Park with open seating on the grass and under the stars. This service is open to all, but registration is required; log onto www.RHUnderTheStars.com, or call 443-524-0284. For admission to the service, present your printed registration confirmation. Tickets will not be mailed.
The park opens at 4:30 pm with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble. Worship begins at 6 pm. The prayers are projected onto a screen and available as  a downloadable app at ccar-ebook.com/rhus. Cost: $1.99. A limited number of booklets are available. American Sign Language interpreting provided.
Directions to the park may be found on the BHC website or visit www.oregonridge.org/dirx.php. In the event of rain, the service will be held in the Dalsheimer Auditorium at BHC.

High Holy Day Food Drive Kick-Off
The 2012 High Holy Day Food Drive for GEDCO Cares Food Pantry will kick off on Sunday, September 16 at Rosh Hashanah Under The Stars and continue until Sunday, October 14. We will communicate additional details about the drive as we approach Rosh Hashanah. We will collect at the Hoffberger Chapel entrance and on the parking lot during the food drive. Volunteer support would be greatly appreciated.
Although collecting for GEDCO Cares is a year-round effort at BHC, our biggest collection occurs during the High Holy Days. We are again counting on our membership to come through for GEDCO Cares. BHC is a proud member of GEDCO—Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation. Contact Steve Cornblatt, 410-868-6867, with any questions or to learn more about this important social action priority.

Cemetery Services
Memorial Services will be held on Sunday, September 23. The service at the Belair Road Cemetery will begin at 10:30 am, and the service at the Berrymans Lane Cemetery at Noon. Liturgy of the service will be available in Russian at Berrymans Lane. Holocaust Memorial Service immediately following.

Sanctuary Worship
Worship with our rabbis and cantors in the Sanctuary reflects the awe-inspiring nature of the High Holy Days and will feature music by the Temple Choir under the direction of BHC Music Director Jimmy Galdieri.

Children’s Worship

Newborn to Pre-Kindergarten
Children’s worship will be held on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at 9 am. Services are geared to newborns through pre-kindergarten, accompanied by an adult.   

Kindergarten to Grade 3
Primary worship will be held on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at 9 am.  Services are geared to families with children in kindergarten through grade 3, accompanied by an adult.

Family Worship: Mornings Only
Family Worship is aimed at children in grades 4 through 8 and their families, while being a welcoming experience for everyone. This service is held in the Straus Social Hall, enabling an intimate and engaging tone. Traditional music is combined with more familiar melodies; creative readings are combined with our machzor (prayerbook).

Child Care
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings, free child care will be available for children between the ages of 2 years and 3rd grade, for BHC members only. Space is limited. A reservation form is available from The E.B. Hirsh Early Childhood Center, 410-764-7281, or the Temple Office, 410-764-1587. No child will be admitted without this form.

Yom Kippur Program of Music & Meditation
The Ruth and Robert Taubman Program of Music & Meditation will take place on Wednesday, September 26, 12:30 pm, in the Dalsheimer Auditorium. This year we will remember Sol Goodman, long-time creative contributor to this program.

Guided Meditation
Join us at 1:45 pm in the Goodwin Center to explore how the Yom Kippur fast can help quiet our thinking mind to become more present and in touch with our yetzer hatov—our inclination to good.

Study Session with Rabbi Busch
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Busch will lead an interactive discussion related to High Holy Day themes at 1:45 pm in the Straus Social Hall.

Yom Kippur Afternoon: Something New
This year’s 2:45 pm Yom Kippur Afternoon Worship will include worship using a pilot edition of a planned new High Holy Day prayerbook, only at this one service. Be part of the development of this new prayerbook. Also, Barry Schloss joins us as we continue our recent practice of having BHC congregants share personal reflections on the impact Judaism has had on their lives.

YK Family Experience
Join us at 4:30 pm for an interactive and creative program, for children accompanied by an adult, led by Director of Education Brad Cohen and Day School art teacher GiGi Lepski. Following, join the Congregation to hear the final shofar blasts.

Break-Fast
On Wednesday, September 26, following Neilah at 5:30 pm, break-fast with fellow Congregants and friends with a full kiddush-style meal. Cost is $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Reservations are required by September 19. Mail checks payable to BHC, Attn: Francie Gill, 7401 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21208. For information call Carol Caplan, 410-764-1587, ext. 270.

Prayerbooks
Remember to bring your High Holy Day prayerbooks to worship at BHC. Gates of Repentance may be purchased for $50 each by calling the Temple Office, 410-764-1587.

Transportation to Temple Events
The Irene Gogel Transportation Fund, established through the generosity of the Gogel Family in memory of Irene Gogel, provides transportation to Temple activities. Request transportation at least 24 hours in advance of the event by calling the Temple Office, 410-764-1587. Riders may be sharing cabs with other Congregants.

The Flower Tradition
The Congregation would like to remember your immediate family members who are homebound or nursing home-confined during the High Holy Days. Call Iris Powell, 410-764-1587, ext. 224, to let her know which of your loved ones should receive flowers. The cost of the flowers is covered by a generous gift to the Congregation from the Dr. Bennett I. Kemper Memorial High Holy Day Flower Fund.

Bema Home Connection
For those homebound, hospitalized, or otherwise unable to attend worship services, the BHC Family Concerns Committee provides Bema-Home Connection for High Holy Days and Shabbat Worship. This enables Congregants to hear services through the telephone.

To reserve a connection for High Holy Day Services click here. Limited speaker phones are available for loan by calling the Temple Office, 410-764-1587.

NEW! Videostreaming is also available by visiting www.ustream.tv/channel/baltimore-hebrew-congregation. Registration for videostreaming is not necessary.