High Holy Days
Where are we now? Where are we going?
In the Garden of Eden, God called out to the first human beings, “Ayeka?” — Where are you? Surely, God must have known their physical location. The question resounds on a much deeper level:
Where do you find yourself at this moment in time? Where are you on your life’s path? What has led you to this place? What direction are you facing? Where do you want to go from here?
These High Holy Days call out to us with the same burning question — Ayeka? We use this question to get our bearings, to feel our feet on solid ground, and notice where we are. What is the path you’re laying out before you? How can we get there together?
Yom Kippur Sermons
Past High Holy Day Sermons
5785 High Holy Day Sermons
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5785
“Stuck Like a Dope with a Thing Called Hope,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway Project Service
“Outside In,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
Rosh Hashanah 5785
“The Future is Dark and Thus Full of Hope,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
“Inside Out,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Family Service
“A Flea from an Elephant’s Ear,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Young Family Service
Kol Nidre 5785
“Worth the Weight,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Community-Wide Service
“‘Cause I Gotta Have Faith,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway Project Service
“We Break But Are Not Broken,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Family Service
“The Little Kiddush Cup,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Young Family Service
Yom Kippur 5785
“The Forest and the Trees,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Yom Kippur Service
“The Jewish Story,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Family Service
“My Rock and My Redeemer,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Yizkor Service
5784 High Holy Days Sermons
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5784
“We Are the Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
“A Skeptical Grown-Up’s Guide to the High Holy Days,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway Project Service
Rosh Hashanah 5784
“Towards an Abundance of Empathy,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Community-Wide Service
“A Tale of Two Buckets,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Rosh Hashanah Young Family Service
“Ask Big Questions,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Rosh Hashanah Sermon, Family Service
Kol Nidre 5784, Sunday, September 24, 2023
“Jewish Virtue Ethics: Finding Goodness in a Complicated World,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Community-Wide Service
“Welcome to Jewrassic Park,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Family Service
“Days of Awe, Days of Enchantment,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway Project
Yom Kippur 5784, Monday, September 25, 2023
“Deal with Demons Daily,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Family Service
“Give and Take,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Yizkor Services
“Jonah: The Son of Truth,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Community-Wide Service
“May Israel Be,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Yom Kippur Sermon, Community-Wide Service
5783 High Holy Day Sermons
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5783, Sunday, September 25, 2022
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Young Family Service
“A Judaism of Enthusiasm!” — Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
“Everything Old is New Again,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway Project (20s/30s) Service
Rosh Hashanah 5783, Monday, September 26, 2022
Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Young Family Service
“Enough,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Community-Wide Service Service
Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Rosh Hashanah 5783 Family Service Sermon
Kol Nidre 5783, October 4, 2022
“It Takes More than Thirty-Six,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
“Go Be AWESOME,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Family Service
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Young Family Service
Yom Kippur 5783, October 5, 2022
Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Young Family Service
Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Family Service
“The Responsibility to Remember,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Yizkor Service
“Avinu Malkeinu: God of Life, God of Love, God of Change,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Community-Wide Service
5782 High Holy Day Sermons
Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 6, 2021
Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
Cantor Alicia Stillman, Family Service
“Here I am, Full of Compassion, Ready to Rebuild,” Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway
Rosh Hashanah, September 7, 2021
“Masking Ourselves in Holiness,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Family Service
“Comfort in Your Space, Courage in Your Place,” Rabbi Dan Slipakoff, Community-Wide Service
Kol Nidre, September 15, 2021
Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Family Service
Rabbi Andrew Oberstein, Riverway
Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Community-Wide Service
Yom Kippur, September 16, 2021
“Teshuvah and Israel: Honesty, Bravery, and Patience,” Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Community-Wide Service
High Holy Day Services
This High Holy Day season, we gather as one sacred community, joyfully welcoming the new year through music, prayer, connection, and celebration. Find the service that is right for you and your family.
Temple Israel of Boston strives to ensure that our services are accessible and inclusive. Learn more>
.
Soundtrack to the High Holy Days
Prepare your heart and spirit for the Days of Awe with our curated playlist of live High Holy Day music, prepared by Cantor Alicia Stillman. This collection of music from our congregation, drawn from traditional liturgy, contemporary interpretations, and soulful melodies, invites reflection, connection, and a sense of sacred anticipation. Whether you’re walking, driving, cooking, or simply pausing to breathe, let this soundtrack accompany you on your journey toward Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.