Kavana - High Holidays

Shana Tova! The High Holidays are upon us!

The High Holidays (also known as “Yamim Noraim,” or “the Days of Awe”) challenge us to step out of our daily routines and to engage in a process of serious introspection about who we are and who we want to be. Kavana’s hope for the High Holidays is to help each member of our community to review the year that has passed, identify ways in which we want to grow and change in the coming year, and to engage in the process of “teshuvah” (“return”) as we work to reset our courses in life. We will do so by providing not only a reflective and prayerful space, but also learning opportunities for both adults and children. We are committed to fostering a sense of community through shared song, prayer, learning and discussion. In these ways, we hope that our High Holiday experiences will enable all of us to renew our relationships with ourselves, our family and friends, the broader community, and God, and in so doing, to act with “kavana” (intention) as we begin our new year together.

Kavana is committed to the notion that each of us can and should strive to be a “producer” (rather than merely a “consumer”) of our own Jewish identity. For this reason, for the High Holidays (in typical Kavana style), we are asking that each attendee contribute – both financially and in terms of volunteer time – to helping us to create a meaningful holiday experience for our community. More details can be found below on what kind of support we need to make this happen.

If you’re interested in joining us for services on Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur, please read through the information that follows carefully. When you’re ready to RSVP, you will need to fill out our on-line registration form.

We look forward to celebrating the High Holidays with you!

Shanah tovah (Happy New Year),

Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum and the Kavana Team

Remaining Schedule
All services to be held on Queen Anne. Location & confirmation information will be sent after we receive the RSVP.

Rosh Hashanah Day 2 – Friday, September 14

Service – 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Childcare – available 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Erev Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) – Friday, September 21

Service – 6:45 PM – 8:45 PM

Yom Kippur Day – Saturday, September 22

Morning Service – 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Family Service/Program – 9:30 – 11:00 AM
Childcare – available 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Mincha and Neilah (afternoon and closing) Service – 5:00 – 7:50 PM
Final Shofar Blast – 7:52 PM

Here’s the Full Scoop (please read carefully before signing up!):

Q: Will there be enough space for everyone who wants to attend Kavana’s High Holiday services?
A: Excellent question… and because this is our first year doing High Holiday services, we do not know how many people will ultimately want to attend. We are once again renting space at a church on Queen Anne, and we plan to use the church’s sanctuary for our main service, their Fellowship Hall for the family service/program, and the classrooms upstairs for childcare. Based on our attendance numbers from the past year, it seems likely that space constraints will indeed be an issue over the High Holidays. Therefore, first priority for spaces will be given to those who have officially become Kavana partners within the last 12 months by going through our partnership intake process (i.e. filling out a form, having a partner intake meeting and making financial and volunteer commitments to support the community), plus their immediate family members and out-of-town guests. Second priority will go to those who have participated in other Kavana events throughout the year and are interested in becoming partners of Kavana in the coming months (please click here for more information on becoming a partner). After August 27th, remaining spaces will be opened up on a first-come-first-served basis to others who haven’t had the opportunity to participate in the Kavana community to date.

Q: Do I need to RSVP in advance, or can I just show up at the door?
A: Because space is limited, we are asking everyone to sign up in advance through our on-line registration form.

Q: My parents/ in-laws/ siblings/ college roommate/ etc. will be visiting and want to attend services with me. Is that okay?
A: Again, first priority will be given to Kavana partners and their families and out-of-town guests, and second priority to Kavana participants and their families and out-of-town guests. If you hope to bring guests with you, please register as soon as possible… and don’t forget that we hope that even guests will support our efforts, both financially and by volunteering in some capacity!

Q: What can I expect Kavana’s High Holiday services to be like?
A: Kavana’s services will be spirited and uplifting, will contain a lot of singing and a fair amount of explanation, will be based on a traditional liturgical structure, and will contain plenty of both Hebrew and English. We will be using a beautiful new mahzor (High Holiday prayerbook) published by a Reconstructionist congregation in Montreal, which contains traditional Hebrew, readable English translations, some transliteration, and lots of beautiful readings, poetry, art and explanatory footnotes.

Q: Will I feel comfortable given that I don’t know Hebrew/ don’t know all the melodies/ prefer a more traditional service/ prefer a less traditional service/ etc.?
A: Given that Kavana is a non-denominational community that serves as a Jewish home to individuals from a VERY wide variety of backgrounds, we know that there’s certainly no way to guarantee that our services will feel like a perfect fit (or “exactly what I grew up with”) for everyone in the community.

Our “Holiday Team” (a dedicated and very diverse group of individuals) has been meeting regularly and we’re trying our best to strike the right balance with these services. As it is our first year holding High Holiday services, we will be experimenting a bit and we hope that you’ll be willing to stretch yourself in order to participate in a communal experience… after all, that’s what Kavana is all about!

Q: Will Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum be leading Kavana’s High Holiday services?
A: Oy – we wish we knew! The exciting news is that Rachel and Noam are expecting their first child in the fall. Because Rachel’s due date falls on Yom Kippur, we’ve had to plan High Holiday services as if she may not be there for them. If she’s able to join us, she will certainly have a role in leading services, speaking and/or teaching. If not, rest assured that things will still proceed as planned.

Q: If not Rachel, then who?
A: We’ll be bringing in Dr. Jonah Steinberg to lead our High Holiday services this year. Jonah is an experienced service leader, and a professor of Talmud and the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Development at the (non-denominational) Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Boston. We are very fortunate to have someone with Jonah’s teaching skills, warmth, charisma and spectacular voice joining us for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur!

Q: How can I participate in the service itself? (Or, what if I want to blow shofar, have an aliyah, do an English reading, etc.?)
A: We welcome and encourage your participation! Please indicate on the on-line registration form what you’d be willing to do and we will be in touch with you about this.

Q: Is there anything special happening for kids and families over these High Holidays?
A: Children are welcome to attend any and all of our services over the High Holidays. In addition, we’re planning two very special Family Services – one on the first day of Rosh Hashanah (9/13) and one on the morning of Yom Kippur (9/22). These will run from 9:30 – 11:00 AM on each of these days, in parallel with the main service. Led by Jewish educator David Basior and JCC pre-school teachers Shannon Cruzen and Sarah Adams, these programs will explore High Holiday themes through song, prayer, and a variety of creative hands-on activities. These Family Services are intended for both parents and children to participate in together, and will be most suitable for children between the ages of 3 and 8 (although younger and older children are certainly also welcome to attend). In addition, we will try to provide on-site (drop-off style) childcare during as many of our services as possible. If you are interested in taking advantage of a childcare option, please register soon, as the numbers and ages of children will help us ensure that we have adequate supervision for each service.

Q: How will Kavana pay for all of this?
A: Our High Holiday expenses add up to a pretty significant chunk of change, and we will need your help to make it a reality! The money we raise from High Holiday contributions will go to facility rental, staffing (service leaders, childcare professionals, administrator), purchasing mahzorim/prayerbooks for the whole community, and repairing our Torah.

We estimate that the real cost of all of this will be $180 per person. While we do not believe in selling “tickets” to services, we do believe in a cooperative model in which everyone contributes significantly to help the community survive and provide excellent services like these. So, for Kavana partners who have already made a financial contribution to the organization as part of the partnership process, we thank you for your contributions to date and ask only for a modest donation to defray our High Holiday expenses (a suggested donation of $18 per person). For those of you who have not yet made more substantial contributions to the community, we ask you to help us to the best of your ability in covering our actual High Holiday cost of $180 per person … or more if you can. Better yet, perhaps you’ll consider becoming a partner now and joining us in building the kind of Jewish community we all want to be a part of year-round! (Should you choose to become a Kavana partner by the end of 2007, the financial contribution you make for the High Holidays can even be credited towards your partner contribution!)

Q: What does it mean that Kavana calls itself a co-op?
A: The word “cooperative” refers to our shared sense of responsibility to help the Kavana community grow and thrive. This is precisely why we are asking each adult (and also any older children who want to participate) to pitch in at some point over the course of the High Holidays by helping out in a volunteer capacity. There are many ways that you can contribute – with set up, clean up, purchasing food and supplies, serving as a greeter/usher, handing out nametags, etc. You will have the opportunity to indicate your preferences as you fill out the registration form on our website.

Q: Okay, I feel a little silly asking this, but what should I wear?
A: Kavana is a diverse community, and we fully expect our clothing choices to reflect this as well. In truth, we care more about what’s on the inside than what’s on the outside – we hope that one way or another, our High Holiday services will provide you with the opportunity for meaningful reflection and prayer. Come wearing a suit, or jeans, or anything in between. In addition, if you have a tallit (prayer shawl), please bring it with you, as it is customary to wear it during the day on Rosh Hashanah and at all services (including the evening services) on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, it is also traditional to avoid wearing leather shoes, so you may even see some service-goers decked out in sneakers or Crocs.

Q: I have another question that I can’t find answered on the website/e-mail. What should I do?
A: Please contact us at kavanaseattle@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to provide you with the information you need.

Q: What is Tashlich?
A: It is a service/tradition performed in which individuals symbolically throw away/cast away your sins - typically into a body of water.

Again - Click here to RSVP for Kavana's High Holiday

Kavana High Holiday 5768 (2007)