High Holy Days 5786
L’shana tova u’metuka! May you be written into the Book of Life for a good and sweet new year!
We are looking forward to seeing everyone for the High Holy Days this year! For most of our services, there will be two options for participation: indoors in our Sanctuary or online. Registration is required for both options.
- All members and guests must register to attend services.
- As part of security enhancements for this High Holy Day season, we are requiring security passes for entry into all High Holy Day services.
- Following completion of the registration form, security passes will be mailed to you.
- Everyone will still be checked in at the door.
- Please note that you will not receive a pass without registering.
- All guest passes will be mailed to the NVHC member of whom the person is a guest.
- For capacity reasons, we ask that you only register for services you are certain you will be attending. If something changes post-registration so that you are unable to attend, please let us know so that we may release your seats to other people.
- If you are not a member of NVHC or a guest of a member, please contact Joe Miller (joe@nvhcreston.org, 703-437-7733) for registration information.
- All services will be in person and streamed online with the exception of our Young Family services and Shofar & Tashlich service, which will not be streamed.
- While we do have a limited number of loaner prayerbooks, we assume our families have their own copies of Mishkan HaNafesh (our High Holy Day prayerbooks). We encourage you to order a set at the link in the side bar if you do not yet have yours.
If you will be visiting NVHC for the High Holy Days and are a member of another Reform congregation in good standing, click here to download and complete the URJ’s Reciprocal Seating Form. Please send your form to Mozelle Stanton at mozelle@nvhcreston.org or 1441 Wiehle Ave, Reston VA 20190.
Scroll down to view the schedule for each holiday.
Elul
The Hebrew month of Elul is the last month before the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During this month, we can take time to prepare ourselves for those holidays. We can reflect on our process of teshuvah, the returning, renewing, and repenting that we each need to do for the past year in preparation for the coming year. We can take this month to review our actions, our lives, and engage in what our tradition calls cheshbon hanefesh – an accounting of the soul. We strive to elevate the spirituality in our lives, acknowledging our shortcomings and fragility, and apologizing to those we have wronged, including ourselves. We do all of this to grow as people and ready ourselves for the High Holy Days.
Elul Video Series 5785
As we get ready for High Holy Days 5786, we start in Elul 5785. The numbers are confusing! Judaism offers so many ways to prepare the soul (see S’lichot below), and NVHC wants to help with our special twist. That is why your clergy team are using our annual Elul video series to share different ways we like to prepare ourselves for the season. So, if you sometimes skip our emails, make sure you look out for this year’s Elul Video Series!
These videos were sent via email and are posted below.
High Holy Day Melodies
The uniqueness and awe of these sacred days are echoed in special sounds and melodies that we hear once a year. For either a little review, anticipatory listening or first-time learning, please click below to listen to some of these special High Holy Day melodies.
1 Elul
4 Elul
8 Elul
11 Elul
15 Elul
19 Elul
22 Elul
26 Elul
S’lichot Dinner & Service
Saturday, September 20
Dinner – 6:00pm, Service – 7:00pm
The High Holy Days ask key questions about our lives and our impact on the world around us. These can be challenging questions, and the pinnacle moment is meant to be when we hear the shofar at the end of Yom Kippur. This is a big climb, one we start at the beginning of Elul (40 days before Yom Kippur), and one we celebrate immediately after Yom Kippur through Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
A key moment on that journey is S’lichot, the time at the end of Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah when we first say many of the prayers and hear many of melodies special to the High Holy Day season. The service is beautiful and moving, the moment when we change the Torah covers to white and start moving our souls to purity step by step. Our S’lichot service will be Saturday night, September 20, at 7:00pm.
Note: Most of the Jewish world will observe S’lichot a week earlier because tradition requires the prayers start at least four days prior to Rosh Hashanah, since the sacrifice for that day in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was inspected for four days prior. Since we at NVHC do not long for the restoration of the Temple, do not base most of our practice on the Temple, and because we want to tie the prayers more closely to the season, we have pushed our service closer to Rosh Hashanah. You are more than welcome to begin your personal S’lichot prayers on Thursday, September 18, or Saturday, September 13, or as early as you like. Be in touch with a member of the clergy team if you’d like coaching.
Join us for dinner followed by this meaningful, soul-filled service to help in our spiritual preparations.
The cost for dinner is $20 per person and reservations are required. Click here to register!
Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 22
8:00pm – Erev Rosh Hashanah Service – In Sanctuary and online
Tuesday, September 23
9:00am – Young Family Service (suggested through 2nd grade) – In person in the Tent
10:30am – Morning Service – In Sanctuary and online
*This service will offer a companion Mini-Machzor and programming experience for grades 3-6.
3:30pm – Shofar and Tashlich Service – In person at Lake Fairfax Park
Yom Kippur
Wednesday, October 1
8:00pm – Kol Nidre – In Sanctuary and online
Thursday, October 2
9:00am – Young Family Service (suggested through 2nd grade) – In person in the Tent
10:30am – Morning Service – In Sanctuary and online
*This service will offer a companion Mini-Machzor and programming experience for grades 3-6.
1:45pm – Afternoon Study – In person only
3:30pm – Afternoon Service – In Sanctuary and online
5:00pm – Yizkor – In Sanctuary and online
6:00pm – Neilah – In Sanctuary and online
Break Fast
October 2, 7:00pm (following Neilah)
Join us to break your fast after Yom Kippur! The catered menu will include a variety of salads, bagels and lox, and sweets. We also invite you to bring your own kugel, salad, vegetable dish, or dessert to share! For some of us, it just wouldn’t feel right if our favorite dish was not on the table. You will have a chance to tell us your plans when you RSVP.
The deadline to RSVP is 5:00pm on Friday, September 25 so we can successfully prepare for all guests. We will not be able to welcome last minute or day-of registration, and capacity is limited. The cost is $20 per adult, $10 per child (3-12 years old), free for children 2 years old and younger. The cost for non-members is $30 (adults) and $15 (children). Please reach out to Joe Miller (joe@nvhcreston.org) if you are in need of financial assistance.
Questions? Please reach out to Risa May (risanvhc@gmail.com).
We Need Your Help!
Support NVHC’s Annual High Holy Day Food Drive!
Our neighbors need our help! Again this year during the High Holy Days, we will be collecting non-perishable food and toiletries for the Cornerstones Emergency Food Pantry. Click here to see what items they need. Remember that low sodium, low fat, sugar free, and organic items are appreciated for their clients with dietary concerns.
Grab a grocery bag (or several!) on Rosh Hashanah, fill it with food, and then drop it off inside the lobby at NVHC any time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Thank you for helping our neighbors in need!
Experiences for Older Kids
This High Holy Day season, we welcome children (3rd grade and up) to join their families in the sanctuary as we pray, reflect, and sing together. As one multigenerational kehilah (community), we’ll move through the sacred liturgy of the Machzor, modeling for our children what thoughtful, engaged Jewish adulthood can look like.
To support young worshipers, we’ll offer a companion Machzor just for kids, featuring age-appropriate prayers, poems, and reflection prompts aligned with the adult service. Students who have already become BMitzvah in our community are welcome to use the companion machzor but should bring their copies of Mishkan HaNefesh and tallitot.
During the morning service on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, children are also invited to the Multi-Purpose Room for creative, hands-on experiences that explore the themes of the season — a meaningful opportunity to engage with friends and classmates in the spiritual work of the High Holy Days.
Together — across generations — we’ll bring the Days of Awe to life.
