Monday, September 6, 2021

7:45 PM
Erev Rosh Hashanah Service
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

10:30 AM
Contemporary Service
DRESS CASUAL – lose the tie, bring a mask!
Located at the Levite Jewish Community Center field
3960 Montclair Road
Birmingham, AL 35213

10:30 AM
Rosh Hashanah Morning Service
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

4:30 PM
Family Service & Tashlich
Veteran’s Memorial Park
4800 Valleydale Road
Meadowbrook, AL 35242

Sunday, September 12

11:30 AM
Kever Avot/Congregational Memorial Service
Northside Cemetery

12:15 AM
Kever Avot/Congregational Memorial Service
Elmwood Cemetery

Wednesday, September 15

7:45 PM
Kol Nidre
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

Thursday, September 16

9:00 AM
Yom Kippur Family Service
DRESS CASUAL – lose the tie, bring a mask!
Located at the Levite Jewish Community Center field
3960 Montclair Road
Birmingham, AL 35213

10:30 AM
Yom Kippur Morning Service
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

1:30 PM
Yom Kippur Learning/Breakout Session
Stories, Music, & Laughter with Susan Koretzky – Hess Chapel

3:00 PM
Yom Kippur Afternoon Service
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

4:00 PM
Healing Service
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

4:30 PM
Yizkor & Concluding Service/Havdalah
Temple Emanu-El Sanctuary

Friday, September 24

5:45 PM
Sukkot Shabbat Service

Saturday, September 25

7:00 PM
Sukkot Havdalah & Sukkah Crawl
with Temple Beth-El & You Belong in Birmingham

Sunday, September 26

10:30 AM
Yizkor Service

Friday, October 1

5:45 PM
Simchat Torah Shabbat Service
Consecration of the First Grade Religious School Students

Our sacred literature teaches us, “If you sanctify yourself a little, you are sanctified much” (Yomah 39a). We have just entered the sacred month of Elul – the month in which we prepare mentally and spiritually for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During Elul, we also partake in deep introspection with regard to this past year:

“What were our strengths?”

“What were our limitations?”

“What would we change in order to make 5782 a more fulfilling year?”

Elul is a special month; no other Hebrew month challenges us to engage in such a personal reflective practice. For example, during Elul, we sound the shofar daily after the morning service – tekiah, shevarim, teruah, tekiah in order to remind us to think about this past year, especially repentance. Moreover, Jewish scholar Philip Goodman writes, “from the advent of Elul until the Day of Atonement, when writing to a friend one should mention at the beginning or at the end of the letter his prayers that the friend shall merit in the coming days being inscribed and sealed in the book of good life.”¹

On this special, spiritual, and reflective month, may you find personal meaning, insight, and reward. As Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:7 tells us, “The gates of prayer are sometimes open, sometimes closed; but the gates of repentance are open forever.”

Rabbi Adam Wright

¹See Philip Goodman, The Rosh Hashanah Anthology (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1973), 57ff.

2021 High Holy Day Services Security Pass Request Form
We invite your guests to share in the warmth of this holiday season and encourage your contribution to our High Holy Day Fund!

*** PLEASE REQUEST PASS NO LATER THAN ***

August 31

 Although Security Passes are complimentary for members, we would be appreciative of a contribution to Temple Emanu-El for each pass.  Security passes will be available at will call on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for pick up.

Dear Temple Family,

We hope that this letter finds you and your family well.

For the ongoing safety and well-being of all, we continue to monitor carefully what is happening in the community as it relates to the COVID 19 pandemic. Over the last month there have been growing trends in the rates of positive cases, percentage of people testing positive, and most concerning, the numbers of children and adults who are admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.

The Temple Emanu-El COVID Task Force has developed recommendations based upon the key values of keeping our community safe while maintaining temple activities. On July 28, the Task Force recommended, and the Temple Board approved, that we revert to the Yellow Tier, indicating a status like we experienced last spring.

Here is what you should expect:

1. If you are ill or experiencing symptoms related to COVID 19, please stay home
2. To enter Temple for any reason, it is mandatory to wear a mask and follow other strategies to mitigate COVID 19.
3. During the High Holidays, only vaccinated members will be allowed to attend services:

1. if you are not vaccinated, consider getting vaccinated. This is the best way to prevent getting a severe infection or infecting others.
2. for those who are not able to get vaccinated (including children < 12 years old) services will be available online.
3. In addition, the contemporary service will be held outdoors. Vaccinated and non-vaccinated members are welcome to join (masking will be enforced for all).

RSVPs are required. You may RSVP at ourtemple.org/hhd5782 or contact Judy Edwards at 205.933.8037, ext 230.

Please click here to view our latest COVID Pandemic Policy.

Please view our latest COVID Pandemic Policy at ourtemple.org by clicking the COVID19 Updates link.

Should you have any questions, contact:

Dr. Al Cohn, 205-999-7422 or albcohnmd@gmail.com
Dr. David Askenazi, 205-907-6048, daskenazi@peds.uab.edu
Robert Berman, President, 205-915-7608, robertbrianberman@gmail.com