ROSH HASHANAH: September 9-11
The Jewish New Year is a time for reflection, spiritual growth, and renewal. Shake off the dust, awaken your soul to the blast of the shofar, and refuse to eat anything that hasn’t been dipped in honey. On Rosh Hashanah it is written, so make sure your next chapter gets off to a good start. Just bear in mind that tickets for services can be expensive, and people will buy them anyway. Services are already selling out, so if prayer is going to be part of your holiday, jump on it, because Rosh Hashanah is not shofar away.
Services/Dinners
NEW SCHOOL: Eat and pray with a group that’s so new, they’re not even sure what to call themselves yet. The New Synagogue Project is a pluralistic, egalitarian, non-denominational, Jewish spiritual home for people of all backgrounds. This year will be the group’s first foray into the High Holidays, and they’ve got services and dinners planned, including a meal specifically for Jews of Color. (Petworth, Various Times, FREE, but donations suggested)
SIXTH & I: This is one of those places where tickets sell like hot cakes. If Sixth & I is where you want to ring in the New Year, buy your tickets ASAP. A few key services are already sold out, but the Chinatown synagogue offers a huge variety of options, and tickets to all the Erev Rosh Hashanah and second day services are still available. As for Monday, those in their 20’s or 30’s can opt for a musical Conservative-style experience with the Good Soul Service, an Orthodox-style service with MesorahDC, or swing by at 5:30 p.m. for Rabbi Shira’s quick, Conservative-style, Express Service. (Sixth & I, Various Times, $18-25)
NO TICKET? NO PROBLEM: Independent, egalitarian Jewish community Fabrangenwelcomes donations, but doesn’t require you to purchase a ticket in order to pray with your peers. There will be Erev Rosh Hashanah services, as well as prayer for both days of the holiday. The group will also do tashlich and an evening service in Rock Creek Park on Tuesday. (New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Various Times, FREE)
CHALLAH TIME: Modern Orthodox synagogue Ohev Sholom is opening its doors for holiday meals on Sunday and Monday night. Spending the holiday alone can be a real bummer, especially if you miss the celebratory meal you might have grown up with. Tickets for the communal dinners are pretty affordable, and if you register before August 29, you can eat for free. Naturally, services are also available at the shul, with seats to High Holiday services running $165 per non-member. (7:30-9:30 p.m., FREE-$18 for dinner; $165 for services)
EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU JEWISH?: Whether you prefer Orthodox services or have nowhere else to go, Chabad is a welcoming place. Rosh Hashanah dinner on Monday night (Sept. 10) is $36 a person, but services for Erev Rosh Hashanah through the second day of the holiday are free. Don’t forget to stuff some bread crumbs in your pockets and join the group at 5 p.m. Monday for Tashlich, the symbolic casting away of sins into a moving body of water. (Chabad, morning Services at 9:30 a.m.; evening services at 6:45 p.m., FREE; $36 for dinner)
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S BRISKET: Okay, maybe you’d prefer bubbe’s cooking, but some of the folks who attend Moishe House Northern Virginia’s Potluck dinner could be really talented in the kitchen. You won’t know until you go! Whip up some tzimmes and a nice salad or something, and don’t spend Rosh Hashanah dinner alone. (Moishe House Northern Virginia, Sept. 10 at 7:30-10 p.m., FREE)
VIRTUAL REALITY: Yeah, Mom. I totally went to services. Washington Hebrew Congregation and Adas Israel are two local synagogues that will live stream their High Holy Day services for those who are physically unable to make it in person. This option is intended to provide accessible services for those who have no other option, so don’t abuse it, okay? You can also call 202-895-6333 for the live broadcast at WHC, or visit this link for the Reform service and this one for Conservative at Adas Israel.
Rosh Hashanah-Adjacent Activities
TAKE YOUR PICK: Moishe House Bethesda is going apple picking before Rosh Hashanah. Grab a bushel or two and tell the folks at your holiday table about the hard work that went into those honey dippers. (Sept. 1 at 1-4 p.m., You Pick; You Buy)
SELICHOT: Gather ahead of the Jewish New Year to recite Selichot, a series of prayers for communal repentance. Get in that “Days of Awe” headspace, and think about what you’ve done. It’s okay. We’re in this together. (Adas Israel, Sept. 1 at 9 p.m., FREE)
MUSICAL SELICHOT: Enjoy snacks and a performance by the National Chamber Ensemble, then recite prayers and poems focused on forgiveness with a Reform community. A dessert reception will follow. The Selichot Concert and Service is free, but a RSVP is requested. (Washington Hebrew Congregation, Sept. 1 at 6:15-9:30 p.m., FREE)
BOOKS FOR KIDS; BOOZE FOR YOU: Jewish women in their 20s and 30s are invited to toast to the New Year, and to children’s literacy. Jewish Women International’s Young Women’s Leadership Network presents Get Excidered! Sip on some cider, schmooze, and celebrate. But don’t forget to bring a new children’s book, which is the “price” of admission. The books will be donated to children’s libraries in domestic violence shelters. (Anxo Cidery, Sept. 5 at 6-8 p.m., FREE)
HIT REFRESH: Sharpen your pencils and take a two class workshop, “Hit Refresh: Preparing for the High Holidays.” You’ll engage in conversations and personal reflection, meditating on some big questions that will open your heart and mind. With one class the week before Rosh Hashanah and the other before Yom Kippur, you’ll enter the Jewish New Year with a renewed sense of focus and connection. (Sixth & I, Sept. 5 & 12 at 7 p.m., $36)
SHABBAT DINNER: Friendsgiving is a thing. What about Rosh Hashanah dinner for folks who can’t make it to an actual Rosh Hashanah dinner, or who can’t get enough sweet fare? Search OneTable, a Jewish dinner party platform, to find an open seat at a dinner on September 7 or 14, the last Shabbat of 5778 or the first of 5779. Feeling generous and accommodating? Host your own, and don’t be frugal with the kugel (or apples).
DANCE PARTY: New year, new moves. If Rosh Hashanah makes you so happy you could dance, prove it. Join NOVA Tribe Series for Dancing in September: A New Year’s Party. There will be snacks and sangria, but bring a drink to share. Sorry, Gen X’ers. This event is for folks in their 20s and 30s. (Private Residence, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m., FREE)
READING FOR JUSTICE: Jews United for Justice activists from across D.C. and Maryland are getting together after Rosh Hashanah to discuss affordable housing through the lens of Matthew Desmond’s EVICTED: Poverty and Profit in the American City.Technically this event is a precursor to the group’s Sukkot trip to the National Building Museum, but it’s not a bad way to start the New Year…especially if your personal goals include being charitable, empathetic, or more active in social justice. (1100 H St NW, Ste 630, Sept. 13 at 7-9 p.m., FREE)
YOM KIPPUR: September 18-19
In the world of major Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is an intense one. You might spend the whole day fasting, standing on your feet, pounding your chest, and thinking about all the things you’ve done wrong during the past year. You thought you were a good person, then halfway through that list of transgressions, the guilt starts to creep in. It’s a lot to handle, but as with most things, it’s easier to swallow in a group. Find a religious service that’s your speed, try an alternative Yom Kippur experience, or focus on the part people will spend most of the day of repentance trying not to think about: food. As with Rosh Hashanah, tickets for some prayer services will sell out.
Services/Break Fasts
ALTERNATIVE YOM KIPPUR EXPERIENCE: Last year, GatherDC hosted a Yom Kippur event in a bar. It was an unusual choice for the solemn holiday, that notably does not include eating or drinking. But if prayer and being in synagogue isn’t your thing, even on the holiest day of the year, Gather’s Alternative Yom Kippur Experience may be up your alley. Come as you are, and as you think and observe (or don’t). This will be a welcoming event that focuses on reflecting on relationships, and thinking about how you want to live your life. It will be a talk and discussion-heavy event, with music, and time for personal reflection. A limited number of people will also be able to sign up for afternoon volunteering at DC Central Kitchen. (Location TBD, Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m., $18)
SIXTH & I: Yom Kippur is just as popular as Rosh Hashanah at the Chinatown synagogue. Do. Not. Wait. To. Buy. Your. Tickets. Check the website to see what’s sold out, and what is still available. (Sixth & I, Various Times, $18-25)
INDIE YOM KIPPUR: Observe Yom Kippur with an egalitarian, lay-led community at Rosh Pina. Men and women will take turns leading the service, and you can reach out to give a dvar torah, receive an aliyah, or participate in the service in another way. Babysitting will be available for parents who pre-register their kiddos. (National Museum of American Jewish Military History, All Day on Sept. 19, $70)
HEAL & HAVE A CHAT: You’ll need a ticket for services at most synagogues, but you can have a meaningful Yom Kippur for free with Temple Sinai’s Discussion Groups and Healing Service. Pick a conversation based on your interests, and settle in for discussions about Jewish themes and identity in theater, Max Bruch’s interpretation of Kol Nidre, or a conversation about race and immigration featuring The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer. After the break-out conversation sessions, check out a music and meditation-focused service geared toward healing your mind, body, and soul. (Temple Sinai, Sept. 9 at 1-3:15 p.m., FREE)
NEW SCHOOL: As mentioned in the Rosh Hashanah section, The New Synagogue Project is pluralistic, egalitarian, non-denominational, and super duper new. For its inaugural Yom Kippur services, the Jewish group is holding Kol Nidre at Israel Metropolitan CME Church, and special day-of programming at First Baptist Church. Spend Yom Kippur meditating, playing music, and doing yoga, sharing stories from the past year, or diving into a queer talmud study. (Petworth, Various Times, FREE, but donations suggested)
MUSIC AND DISCUSSION: If you’re going to be hungry and miserable, you might as well be entertained. Adas Israel’s Yom Kippur services and activities include reflective music, more traditional melodies, and an afternoon discussion about living with pain and fear with Alix Spiegel and Hanna Rosin, hosts of the NPR podcast and radio show Invisibilia. (Adas Israel, All Day on Sept. 19, $85-325)
MEDITATE ON IT: If the traditional stuff isn’t your bag, register for the free “Becoming Present: Meditation & Song Workshop” at Adas Israel. Through singing, meditation, and guided breathing, you’ll bring yourself to a calm and collected center. (Adas Israel, Sept. 19 at 4:45-5:45 p.m., FREE)
SHORT AND SWEET: If sleeping late and just catching the tail-end of services is more your speed, and you’re a young adult, you might want to join 2239 for its Yom Kippur Afternoon with Break Fast event. It won’t cost you much, and you’ll get the Yizkor and Neilah Reform services, plus some highly-anticipated grub. (Washington Hebrew Congregation, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m., $25)
BAGELDOX: After fasting all day, those bagels are going to taste pretty good. Come to the evening Yom Kippur service at Chabad, then break the fast with the group. (Chabad, 5:15 p.m., FREE)
POTLUCK: If you won’t stop hating on noodle kugel, you might as well make your own food. Cook something up, or buy some food to bring to a potluck-style Break the Fast in GatherDC’s cool townhouse in Farragut North. (GatherDC, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m., FREE)
YOUNG, SCRAPPY, AND HUNGRY: Break the fast with Adas Israel’s group for young professionals. The synagogue also offers discounted $85 tickets for non-members under 30 who want to join for services. (Adas Israel, 8-9:30 p.m., FREE)
FOOD, FINALLY: Under 40? Break the fast in Northern Virginia with other Jewish young adults. There will be bagels, lox, cream cheese, and kugel. What else would you expect? (Moishe House Northern Virginia, 8-10 p.m., FREE)
Yom Kippur-Adjacent Activities
BOOZY APPLES: Are you a young adult who’s donated $180 or more to The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington? If so, throw another ten bucks in and celebrate the New Year with other philanthropic young Jews, a live band, and an exclusive tour of a new, local cidery. (Capitol Cider House, Sept. 13 at 6:30-8:30 p.m., $10)
FOR THE LAUGHS: Even the best of us make mistakes. On the bright side, sometimes, those transgressions are pretty funny in hindsight. At The Unkosher Comedy Tour: Confessions event, local Jewish comedians will share their tales of whoopsies and errors, hopefully getting you laughing in the process. (The Dew Drop Inn, Sept. 13 at 7-8:30 p.m., $10)
Other Useful Links
TICKET EXCHANGE: Decided to go home for the holiday after all? Big project giving you second thoughts about taking time off work? Bought tickets for the reform temple and the orthodox shul? Procrastinated and realized all the services are sold out? GatherDC’s High Holiday ticket exchange may be the answer to your problems.
DEALS DEALS DEALS: Speaking of tickets, they can cost more than a few shekels. If you’re between 21 and 39 years old, you can score discounted tickets through EntryPointDC’s High Holiday Ticket program. Just be sure to place your order before Saturday, September 1. After that, you’re on your own, motek.