High Holy Days 5786/2025 Schedule, Registration & More!

Shanah Tovah!

We look forward to gathering together to observe the High Holy Days, which start at sundown on Monday, September 22, and continue through Simchat Torah, which we will celebrate on Friday, October 17.

As we approach this solemn and joyful time, we look forward to repeating familiar rituals. Some of these are centuries-old practices done by Jews around the world in times of both joy and sorrow. Some are decades-long traditions that are unique to Kerem Shalom. At the same time, because times and circumstances change, each year, the High Holy Days also are entirely new experiences. This feels especially true this year, which has been marked by troubling events–globally, locally, within our communities, and, for many of us, in our personal lives as well. 

By combining the wisdom of ancient practices and adapting those practices to modern times, the High Holy Days offer us the opportunity to come together as a community and to reflect—both individually and collectively—on the many challenges we have faced in the last year, to consider what we want to continue nourishing, and to explore how we hope to change in the coming year. You can join us in whatever ways work best for you. Almost all of this year’s Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services and activities will be held both in-person at Kerem Shalom and online via Zoom. Please be aware, however, that online access will not be available for Tashlich, which we will share together in person only, at the North Bridge on Tuesday, September 23, and for the Yom Kippur afternoon learning programs, which will be held at Kerem Shalom on Thursday, October 2.

In addition, we offer other opportunities to enrich the holiness of these y’amim nora’im, Days of Awe. Our annual High Holy Days Food Drive comes at an especially critical time as government safety nets are being cut, and more people will be depending on hunger relief organizations such as Open Table and Family Table. Please be generous in filling grocery bags and making donations to support these efforts. 

Regardless of how you join us, we look forward to being together in community.

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KS Members and non-members must register to attend services—whether attending in-person or online. 

The button below will take you to an online registration form. After you submit that form you will receive a confirmation email.

For those attending in person at the synagogue: Please print and bring your confirmation email the first time you come to High Holy Day services at Kerem Shalom. After showing the confirmation email to a greeter, you will receive a printed reservation card. (Because we do not use electronics on the High Holy Days we ask that you not use your phone to show greeters the confirmation email). If you forget the email confirmation or you cannot print it out, please stop at the table in the Atrium and pick up your reservation card. You will be asked to show your reservation card to greeters when you come to subsequent services. Please also remember that family members and/or guests who will be arriving separately should register separately in order to get their own confirmation email and reservation card.

If you are planning on attending any services online, you will need to register for the Zoom link. The registration link will be on the next-to-last page of the registration form; it also will be in the email confirmation you will receive after you submit the registration form. Please share the registration link with any family members or guests who will be logging on from separate devices.

ASL

Please note that all requests for ASL at services must be submitted no later than Thursday, August 28 by emailing .

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HIGH HOLY DAYS APPEAL

The beginning of the New Year offers each of us an opportunity to give Tzedakah (contribute financially) to support Kerem Shalom and to sustain our capacity to be a dynamic, program-rich, spiritually nourishing community. While gifts of any amount are appreciated, we ask that you consider giving in two ways. First, please consider making a voluntary donation to support the 5786 High Holy Days Appeal; we suggest a donation of $540 per family. However, gifts of other amounts—which traditionally are done in multiples of 18—are welcome and we hope that everyone makes at least a modest donation. In addition, if you will be joined by an adult family member who is not living at home or a non-family guest for our High Holy Day services, we ask that you make a donation of $180 for each non-resident member of your extended family and $360 for each adult non-family guest.

Thank you for supporting KS!

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MEMBERS, PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO HELP

Helping before, during, and after the High Holy Days is an enjoyable and rewarding way to get ready for the holidays, to meet and connect with other members, and to contribute to our community. Opportunities include helping set up the social hall for services, welcoming people to services, handing out prayer books, directing traffic in the parking lot, and helping set up and clean up the Kiddush after the morning service on Rosh Hashanah and the modest Break Fast that will follow the closing services on Yom Kippur.

Members, click the button below to see and sign up for one of the many volunteer opportunities.

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PROGRAMMING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS

Children of all ages are welcome at all services – and, as described in more detail below–many elements of various community Children of all ages are welcome at all services —and, as described in more detail below—many elements of various community services are particularly appropriate for children. In addition, childcare will be available throughout most of our High Holy Day services.

The child-friendly services and activities include:

●  Early Childhood Tot Shabbat style services, which will be led by Nancy Kaplan from 8:30-9:15 on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mornings. These services are appropriate for children under 7 and their adults. 

●  Childcare for children ages 3 to 9 will be available on the evenings of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm; on Rosh Hashanah from 9:30 am-12:30 pm; and on Yom Kippur from 9:30 am until the end of Yizkor (about 1:00 pm) and from 5:00-7:00 during Yom Kippur afternoon services.
Please sign up for child care when you register for High Holy Day services. Doing so will help us plan activities and snacks.

●  Childcare and supervised activities and snacks for children ages 3 and up will be offered during the Yom Kippur afternoon services, which start at 5 pm. Children are welcome to drop in if they need a short break or a snack.

When registering for services, it is necessary to indicate if a member of your family or your guests are likely to want childcare or supervised activities.

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SCHEDULE OF SERVICES & ACTIVITIES
(Scroll down for full descriptions of services & programs)

Erev Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 22, 2025
6:30 pm – Community Service, in-person and online with live captioning available for those attending via Zoom
Please note: Rabbi Darby will deliver his main Rosh Hashanah sermon at this service.

Rosh Hashanah
Tuesday, September 23, 2025

8:30 am – Early Childhood Family Service, in-person and online (see description above)

10:00 am – Community Service, in-person and online, with live captioning for those attending via Zoom. As noted above, all children are welcome at the service; childcare will be offered for younger children; and age-appropriate activities will be offered for older children during the Torah service.

12:30 pm – Light Kiddush following Rosh Hashanah service.

4:00 pm – Tashlich at the Old North Bridge — At the Monument Street entrance. (NOT Liberty Street)

Please note this service will be in-person only.

●  Please refrain from going near the bulkhead and shoreline, for safety reasons.
●  Please don’t throw breadcrumbs into the river as they disrupt the ecosystem.
●  Instead, we ask that you please only throw leaves, twigs and pebbles that are found on the grounds nearby.

Rosh Hashanah Day 2

Wednesday, September 24, 2025
10:00 am – Community Service led by David Orlinoff (for the 38th consecutive year), in-person and online, with Zoom AI-captioning

Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre)
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 

6:30 pm – Community Service, in-person and online, with live captioning
Please note: Rabbi Darby will deliver his main Yom Kippur sermon at this service.

Yom Kippur
Thursday, October 2, 2024
8:30 am – Early Childhood Family Service, in-person and online

10:00 am – Community Service, in-person and online, with live captioning
As noted above, all children are welcome at the service; childcare will be offered for younger children; and age-appropriate activities will be offered for older children during the Torah and Yizkor services.

12:30 pm – Yizkor (Memorial Service), in-person and online, with live captioning
See below for information on our Yizkor slide show and how to submit photos.

2 pm – Torah Study, with Rosalie Gerut, KS Director of Adult Programming, in-person only

3 pm – Contemplative Chanting Circle with Molly Bajgot, in-person only

4 pm – Musical Musaf Service, with Kerem Shalom’s Tiferet Ensemble, in-person only

5 pm – Mincha (Afternoon Service),  with Jonah Haftarah,  in-person and online, with live captioning 

6 pm – Neilah (Closing Service),  in-person and online, with live captioning

7 pm – Havdalah, in-person and online, with live captioning

7:30 pm – Community Break Fast

• You are welcome to break your fast with light snacks that will be available after Havdalah.
• You are also welcome to join us for a community potluck Break Fast.  

Sign-up is required for the Community Potluck Break Fast by Sunday, September 28.

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PRAYER BOOKS

Below are links to sections of the prayer book you can use if you are attending some services online. You should also download the High Holy Days Supplement which is used in all of those services.

High Holy Days Mahzor & Supplement:
Erev Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah Morning
Tashlich
Yom Kippur Maariv-Kol Nidre
Yom Kippur Morning
Yom Kippur Afternoon
High Holy Days Supplement

If you are attending online and prefer to have a hard copy of the prayer book and supplement, please contact Robyn Barabe, the Temple Administrator, to arrange a time to either pick up a prayer book or, if you are unable to come to Kerem Shalom, to have someone drop one off. You can reach Robyn by email at or by phone at 978-369-1223 ext. 0.

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DESCRIPTIONS OF SERVICES & PROGRAMS

Community Evening Services with Rabbi Darby and Molly Bajot, Interim Cantorial Soloist. As has been his recent practice, Rabbi Darby will deliver his Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sermons at the evening services. Childcare for children ages 3 to 9 will be available at both services.

Early Childhood Family Services, led by  Nancy Kaplan will last under an hour. These services are highly participatory and include lots of music and storytelling and some out-of-your-seat movement. Early Childhood Family Services are appropriate for families with children in preschool through 2nd grade, though all ages are welcome to join the festivities. On Rosh Hashanah, the Early Childhood Family Service will conclude with the sounding of the Shofar.

Community Morning Services will be led by Rabbi Darby and Molly Bajgot, Interim Cantorial Soloist. Conducted in a mixture of English and Hebrew (all transliterated), these spiritually fulfilling services will engage the multi-generational span of our community. On Yom Kippur, the Community Service will continue without pause into Yizkor, the Memorial Service. Childcare for children ages 3 to 9 will be available. 

Tashlich, will be held, rain or shine, in-person at the Old North Bridge on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. During this family and child-friendly service, we will cast small stones, sticks, or leaves into the moving water to symbolically release last year’s regrets and contemplate what we wish to draw from the water to nourish us as we enter the New Year. (Please note that this service will not be available online.)

Second Day Rosh Hashanah Morning Services will be led for the 38th year in a row by long-time Kerem Shalom member David Orlinoff. It’s a great way for adults and families to more fully experience the start of our new year. Come see why this year’s service will be especially sweet!

Yizkor, the Memorial Service immediately after the morning service on Yom Kippur, provides an opportunity to witness the ongoing presence of our now-deceased loved ones in our lives. For those attending online, the service will end with a slide show of those we are remembering. The slide show will also be available on the KS Member Portal following Yom Kippur. See below for details on how to submit photos.

Torah Study – You are invited to sustain the contemplative mood of Yom Kippur with Torah Study led by Rosalie Gerut, Kerem Shalom’s Director of Adult Programming. This session will be offered in-person only.

Contemplative Chanting Circle – Step into a gentle, soulful space of song, silence, and reflection this Yom Kippur. Led by Interim Cantorial Soloist Molly Bajgot, we’ll share an hour of simple melodies and nigunim (wordless chants) to help us return to ourselves and open our hearts. No singing experience necessary—just your presence and an openness to listen and join in.  This session also will be offered in-person only.

The Musical Musaf Service, with the Tiferet String Ensemble, will provide a musical and spiritual prelude to Mincha, Neilah, and Havdalah. This will also be in-person only. 

Mincha, the afternoon service, will include the telling of the Jonah story.

Neilah and Havdalah, “the Closing of the Gates,” are the last services of Yom Kippur, completing the arc of the High Holy Days. They are meaningful and fulfilling services for all ages. Everyone is warmly encouraged to return (in-person or via Zoom) for these moving services. We will give a small gift to all children who return in person to these services. We will then conclude with a very short Havdalah service. 

After the service, a light snack will be available for everyone attending in-person. We also will have a potluck Community Break Fast (Please CLICK HERE to register for the community Break Fast).

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HIGH HOLY DAYS FOOD DRIVE

As we have done for over two decades, during the High Holy Days we will again be collecting food for Open Table, which As we have done for over two decades, during the High Holy Days we will again be collecting food for Open Table, which practices the mitzvah of ha’achalat Re’evim, feeding the hungry. The Food Drive, which will continue through the holidays, will end on Friday, October 17, after we celebrate Simchat Torah. You can bring food in your own bags or take one of the bags that will be available at Kerem Shalom after the first regular Shabbat service on Friday, September 5 and after the first day of Hebrew School Reimagined on Monday, October 6.

Open Table particularly needs both “Pantry Staples” and food for “Kids’ Bags.”

Pantry Staples include the following items:

• Vegetable cooking oil – 24 oz, 32 oz, or 40 oz bottles
• Ground coffee – bags or cans (no K-cups)
• Tea (black, green, herbal)
• Flour
• Salt
• Sugar

Please include small, single-serving items, such as:

• Granola Bars
• Salty Snacks
• Dried Fruit
• Dried Nuts
• Cookies / Crackers

If you are unable to shop or join us at the synagogue, you can make an online donation. To do so, click here, then click on the dropdown menu on the bottom right side of the page to direct your donation to Kerem Shalom’s Food Insecurity Fund.

You also can also support hunger relief programs by participating in the Ride for Food on October 5, 2025, as a cyclist, walker, volunteer, or donor.  Both Open Table and Jewish Family & Children’s Services’ Family Table sponsor teams and benefit from this event. To date, the Ride for Food has allocated $4.2M to hunger relief, supporting over 350,000 people in Eastern Massachusetts.  Click here to learn more and to get involved.If you have any questions or want to become more involved, please contact Jill Block and Michele Kahan, co-chairs of Kerem Shalom’s Food Insecurity Task Force, at .

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PARKING FOR HIGH HOLY DAYS

Because many people will be  attending in-person services, the parking lot will quickly fill up. Parking lot volunteers will let you know if space is available and where you should park. If you are directed to park on the grass or the sidewalk please make sure all four wheels are off the pavement, which will ensure that the fire lane remains open. Please do not park in spaces designated for Handicap Accessible Parking unless your vehicle has a handicap tag. If you do not have a handicap tag but someone in your party has mobility challenges, please drop them off in the front circle and then park elsewhere. In addition, please do not park in the circle near the entrance.  

Once the parking lot is full, you can park on the “other side” of Elm Street or on two nearby side streets—Nimrod Drive and Coburn Hill Road—that are on the left when heading down Elm Street towards Concord Center. Take care not to block any driveways when parking on the street, and do not park in any of the parking lots on Elm Street across from Kerem Shalom.

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YIZKOR SLIDE SHOW PHOTOS

For those who are attending online, the Yizkor service will be followed by a visual memorial slideshow. After Yom Kippur, those who attend the Yizkor service in person can view the slide show, which will be on the KS Member Portal.

If you submitted a photo last year, we will be using it again, and there’s no need to resubmit it.

If you would like to add an additional photo to the slide show, please send it in as soon as possible—by Friday, September 12, by 5 pm, at the latest. If the photo is not in a digital form, you can scan it OR take a picture of it with your phone.

To submit new photos:

• Email it to as an attachment
  OR
• Upload it to the cloud app of your choice (Google Photos, DropBox, etc.), and send an email to including a link to the photo. (Please remember to include login permissions or credentials if required.)
• Please include the name of the person in the photograph.

If you need help email us at

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CELEBRATE SIMCHAT TORAH WITH KS

On Friday, October 17, we will celebrate Simchat Torah (“Joy of Torah”), when we complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah, with a Community Pizza Dinner at 6:30 pm which will include Dancing from 7:30 – 9 pm (Led by Rabbi Darby and Molly Bajgot with Kerem Shalom’s Klezmer Band, and dance instruction joyfully provided by KS member Alex Krosner!)

RSVP HERE by October 16, 2025

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QUESTIONS?

If you have any additional questions about the High Holy Days, please contact Kerem Shalom Administrator Robyn Barabe at or by phone at 978-369-1223 ext 0. 

We look forward to being in community with you during  the High Holy Days, either in-person or online.

With our best wishes to you and your loved ones for the coming New Year,

High Holy Days Committee:
Marty Plotkin (Co-chair)
Elisabeth Sackton (Co-Chair) 
Tracey Guth
Robyn Barabe
David Luberoff
Marla RichmondJulie Rohwein
Debbie Simon
Lloyd Simon
Sue Wolff