Eyes on Life

We Lift Our Eyes to Each Other and to the World 5778

Using the mystical tool of Gematria, where numbers are transformed into letters, the New Year 5778 reveals the Hebrew letters ayin and chet. Ayin can represent the first letter in the words einayim/eyes and chet can lead to hayyim/ life. What can we learn from these associations?

This New Year urges us to expand our vision and focus our energy and attention on the life of our planet, communities, our Mishkan, and our own souls. It urges us to reach for clarity and insight so we can engage more fully with the expanse of life’s choices, blessings and challenges in clear, true and accountable ways. Lift your eyes, 5778 calls: behold the beauty and the brokenness, the magnificence and the pain and step in and be part of the healing and transformation. Throughout the Days of Awe and the year ahead we will lift our eyes to life and together focus on our vision and mission and how we can act for justice, compassion and peace in the year ahead. These are indeed the times we were made for!

~ Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit and Rabbi Yael Levy ~ Mishkan Shalom Yamim Noraim/ Days of Awe 5778

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SLICHOT Preparing The Ground For Renewal And At-One-Ment

Saturday, September 16 – Slichot Service & Workshop 8:00 p.m. – Teshuvah Workshop - laying the groundwork for forgiveness in meditation, journaling and discussion 9:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. - “Return to the Home of Your Soul” Led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Rabbi Yael Levy.

A ritual and prayerful focus on teshuvah, letting go and preparing the inner ground for the holy days. We will sing, study and discuss the places of challenge and opportunity in our lives as we enter this new Jewish year together. Tallitot and Machzorim

If you have your own tallit/prayer shawl and/or Kol Haneshamah Machzor for High Holy Days, please bring them with you. We have a limited number of both available. Please note that a tallit is traditionally worn at all morning services and throughout Yom Kippur beginning with the Kol Nidre evening service, the only evening service in the entire year at which we wear tallitot.

ROSH HASHANAH Rosh Hashanah Services led by Rabbis Shawn Zevit, Yael Levy, Myriam Klotz, Rabbinic Intern, Claire Brunhild and members of the Mishkan Shalom High Holy Day team as indicated. Rosh Hashanah Evening Service at Mishkan Shalom

Wednesday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. Led by Rabbi Shawn Zevit

We welcome the Jewish New Year, 5778, with song, prayer and spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. An Oneg follows the service, giving us the opportunity to reconnect with old and new friends and welcome new members. First Day Rosh Hashanah at The Haverford School

Thursday, September 21

Led by Rabbis Shawn Zevit, Yael Levy, Myriam Klotz, Rabbinic Intern, Claire Brunhild and members of the Mishkan Shalom High Holy Day team.

Child Care Provided – see page 8

Join us as we create an experience of celebration and transformation through Prayer, Music, Torah and the resonant sounds of the shofar. 9:00-10:30 a.m. – Shacharit (morning) service using Kol Haneshamah Machzor

10:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. – Torah service, sermon, shofar, and musaf

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Aliyot – As we read the creation story anew, as an alternative Rosh Hashanah reading, we continue the tradition of celebrating our community, our leaders and our journeys.

Communal Meal – To deepen our connection to each other and celebrate the first day of this New Year we join together for lunch following services. We ask each household to contribute something to this healthy, celebratory meal. Tashlich at Valley Green Thursday, September 21 - Gathering at 3:30 p.m. During the Tashlich ritual, we continue the process of teshuvah as we go to a place of flowing water with the

thoughts, feelings and behaviors we wish to let go of in the year ahead. We will join together at Valley Green (across from the Valley Green Inn) on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Bring bread crumbs or greens for the ducks; a shofar to sound; children and friends. Join us as we seek to further free ourselves from whatever limits our spiritual development and keeps us from being the person we wish to become. Second Day Rosh Hashanah at Mishkan Shalom/A Way In Mindfulness Service

Friday, September 22 - 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Led by Rabbis Yael Levy, Myriam Klotz, Shawn Zevit and other Mishkan leaders

We celebrate the second day of the Jewish New Year with Mindfulness, Music and Movement.

TRADITIONAL PRAYERS surrounded with silence and reflection

YOGA for the body and soul

MUSIC to reach the heart

TEACHINGS and MEDITATION

TORAH READING and opportunities to receive blessings

100 blasts of the SHOFAR

SHABBAT SHUVAH AT MISHKAN SHALOM Saturday, September 23

9:00 a.m. – Teshuvah study with Rabbi Shawn Zevit

10:00 a.m. – Shabbat service, FORGIVENESS, ATONEMENT and SOCIAL JUSTICE with Rabbi Shawn and Rev. Greg Holston. Opportunity to share interests and responses after Kiddush with various social justice teams.

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YOM KIPPUR SEPTEMBER 29-30

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, also known as the Sabbath of Sabbaths, is one of the most powerful individual and communal days in the Jewish calendar that begins before sunset at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29th. We invite and encourage everyone to participate in the entire day’s offerings of services, workshops and programs. Yom Kippur crescendos with the poignant Neilah (closing) service, the final service and gathering of prayers and affirmations of our whole community. The energy is powerful and profound and a perfect way to conclude the Days of Awe together and deepen our connections as we step into Sukkot. Feel free to bring family and friends, a shofar and a Havdallah candle for the final shofar blasts at the conclusion of Neilah and for the Havdallah service that ends the day.

Special Clothing and Customs for Yom Kippur

Many people choose to wear white clothing on Yom Kippur as a sign of longing for purity of soul and teshuvah/repentance. Some wear a kittel, a white robe worn at moments of transition and is what Jews are traditionally clothed in when we die. If you own a kittel please bring it with you; if not, consider wearing white for Yom Kippur. Along with fasting from food and drink, and refraining from intimate relations, there is also a custom not to wear leather and leather products on Yom Kippur

since leather comes from a living being whose life was taken and made into leather products, historically considered a luxury.

Altar of Memory

You are invited to bring a remembrance of someone in your life who has died and place it on the altar that will also hold yarzheit candles for memorial lighting. Through these photographs and objects we open our hearts to those we have lost and bring their presence with us as we enter this holiest of days.

Food Donation

Please bring canned or boxed goods and participate in a city-wide food drive through Philabundance and Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

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Kol Nidre at The Haverford School

Friday, September 29 6:00 p.m. gathering, 6:30 p.m. service

We open our hearts to forgiveness and compassion as we enter Yom Kippur together. Each of us will have the opportunity to write a teshuvah (return and atonement) card which will include ways we feel we have missed the mark and erred this past year as well as ways in which we have lived out our values and ideals. Yom Kippur Day at The Haverford School

Saturday, September 30 Child care provided – see page 8

We begin the day with two soulful offerings for Shacharit (morning) and come together at the Torah service. 9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. – Chant, liturgical prayer and reflection using Kol Haneshamah Machzor with Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Kohenet Shoshana Bricklin and other Mishkan leaders.

9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. – A Way In Mindfulness Service: Meditation, Music and Yoga with Rabbis Yael Levy and Myriam Klotz.

11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m. – Torah service including sermon, discussion and haftarah. Followed by Musaf/additional prayers. 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 PM – Avodah: Service of Offerings –Wendy Galson & Susan Windle The Avodah service is traditionally devoted to exploring the offerings of the High Priest brought to the Temple to cleanse himself and the community from sins. For our service, we will make personal offerings. You are invited to bring a poem, a story, a song, and experience, thought or work of art you

would like to share. We will make these offerings to each other as a way to draw our souls closer to what we love and who we may yet be. 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m. – Afternoon sessions

We Are Made for These times with Reverend Linda Noonin, Chestnut Hill United Church, and Rabbi Shawn Zevit. From a faith perspective we are always called to bear witness and act in the times we live in. Our current times have brought with them an intensified level of challenge in the realm of social, environmental, economic and racial justice. We will explore together spiritual approaches and best practices of our day to live the deep call to tikkun hanefesh v'olam- the repair/balancing/integration of one's own soul and the world we are part of. Whether your focus is on mindfulness meditation, prayer and ritual, community organizing, marches or lobbying- our group will be working on the integrative approach to a healthy and balanced life and a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

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Deepening Forgiveness: A Guided Chant and Meditation with Wendy Galson -- In the mid-afternoon we can feel the end of the day looming near and we may be acutely aware that our personal “repair and return work” is incomplete. The immense brokenness of the world may evoke a sense of despair and personal insufficiency. At this moment of the day when our physical energy is low, we may be most able to let go of what holds us back from a more loving acceptance of ourselves and this beautiful and broken world. Using chant, gentle stretching, and guided meditation, we will move through regret and brokenness, to opening and allowing, toward deepening forgiveness and healing. Please bring a mat or blanket to rest on, and extras for others.

Discerning our Spiritual Work this Day of Atonement with Meredith Barber Spiritual Direction is a process for exploring our connection with what we experience as God, Spirit, Truth, however we express and understand the sacred in our lives. Using the structure of our monthly spiritual direction circles, we will allow time for sharing and reflection from participants. Through these explorations we will try to discern where we are being guided or need to put our attention this Yom Kippur Day, and in our lives in the year ahead. What Is This Aliveness That I Am? with Rabbi Myriam Klotz Come learn together as we sit with a Hasidic master, the Mei'or Einayim, in this teaching in which he explores this question from a contemplative, spiritual perspective. Through learning this text in English (Hebrew text provided), we will immerse in reflective dialogue about essential nature, our aliveness and this Jewish mystical perspective on cultivating our relationship with the sacred dimension of our lives.

Expanding the Forgiving Heart with Adina Laver We can only heal, forgive, and love more when our hearts feel spacious and open. One of the challenges of the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe and Repentance) is that at the very moment when we seek to heal wounds of the past, forgive ourselves and others, and increase the love we have to share, we can find ourselves constricting from shame and self-judgment that often accompanies the process of self-examination. In this workshop, we will explore the ways in which our minds frame the story of what it means to forgive and ‘do better’ and see how we can create even more space to fulfill our intentions.

4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. - Yizkor Service 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. - Minchah Service 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. - Neilah and Break Fast

Yizkor Book We continue to offer an opportunity to remember family members and other significant people in our lives who have died. We will publish a Yizkor Book/Book of Remembrance that will be distributed at each of the Yizkor services throughout the year (Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, first day of Passover and Shavuot). Please note that the names will not be read aloud at these times. This book, which will also include poetry and liturgy, will be designed to inspire contemplation and prayer. If you would like to remember someone in this way, please fill out the Yizkor form enclosed in this Yamim Noraim/Days of Awe mailing and send it with your donation ($18 per name is suggested) to Mishkan Shalom, Attn: Maria. If you have questions contact Sharon Parker, Sparky18@me.com

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CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Please join us for special services designed for children and their families, led by Mishkan educator Gabby Kaplan-Mayer. Rosh Hashanah, Day 1 9:30—10:15 a.m. Children ages birth~5 years Young children and their families will sing and celebrate with special puppet friends who will teach us about the New Year. Older sibs welcome!

10:30—11:30 a.m.—Children ages 5—8 years: We will sing, pray and open the Torah together. Parents are encouraged to experience this service with their children. Special discussion questions will help children and their families reflect on gratitude and blessings.

11:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. Children ages 9-12 Children will help lead prayers and discussion as we focus on our role in being a peace maker in the New Year. Older children will help to lead a Torah service. Parents are encouraged to join us and share this opportunity for reflection with their children. Rosh Hashanah, Day 2 10:00-11:30 a.m.—Children of all ages and their families: We will share a creative, musical family service, followed by Rosh Hashanah crafts and coloring. Yom Kippur 9:30-10:15 a.m.—Children ages birth~5 years. Young children and their families will sing and celebrate with special puppet friends who will help to teach us about the importance of saying sorry and forgiving our friends. Older sibs welcome!

10:30—11:30 a.m.—Children ages 5—8 years. We will sing, pray and open the Torah together. Parents are encouraged to experience this service with their children. Special discussion questions will help children and their families reflect on positive choices that we can make at school, home and in taking care of the earth.

11:30a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Children ages 9-12. Children will help lead prayers and discussion as we focus on our role in making the world a loving, positive place and on the importance of taking responsibility when we get off track. Older children will help to lead a Torah service. Parents are encouraged to join us and share this opportunity for reflection with their children.

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HIGH HOLIDAY CHILDCARE If your child needs a break from services and you wish to remain with your child, you and your child are welcome in the childcare room. If you choose to leave your child with the childcare provider, you can register on the spot with the teacher. This drop-off childcare is for potty-

trained children. Older children are welcome to volunteer as helpers, for some or all of the time. Local teacher and mom, Rebecca Dhondt will once again offer games and fun in a safe atmosphere during services. Children will be brought to the children's services, or can be taken by their parents to children's services. Children may be brought in and out of childcare, with notification to the teacher.

WHO: Children aged 2 1/2 to 12 years old.

WHEN: Rosh Hashana, 9/21, Thu, from 9 am - 1 pm & Yom Kippur, 9/30, Sat, from 9 am - 2 pm

WHERE: The dining room at the Haverford School

DEADLINE: There is no deadline, but advance notice is appreciated

FEE: FREE! Please consider a donation specifically to cover Mishkan’s cost, in addition to your usual High Holiday donation. Suggested donation is $25 - $50 per day, per child

BRING: a snack, a lunch, a water bottle for each child. No food will be provided. FOOD MUST BE NUT AND PEANUT-FREE, AND DAIRY/VEGETARIAN

SIGN UP is not required but is requested if possible. Please send an email to Rebecca at sistersrule60@hotmail.com and include the following information:

Name of child/ren Age(s) of child/ren Name of parent(s) Cell phone (reachable during services) Allergies Health issues /Medications Important behaviors that the teacher should know about Signing up for Rosh Hashana Signing up for Yom Kippur

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COMMUNAL MEALS A significant piece of our community’s experience during the High Holy Days, are the two communal meals we create together. We have two potluck communal meals: lunch following the first day service of Rosh Hashanah and the break-the-fast following the end of Yom Kippur. The entire community – and guests -- are welcome and each family is asked to bring food and drink to share. We are an active participant in the HAZON Seal of Sustainability program and our Green Team has taken on a focus on Recyclables, as well as Local, Organic and Food Justice/Fair Trade food where possible and affordable. Please keep this in mind when you purchase and prepare your food as we will have signs that can identify such products.

WE WILL PROVIDE COMPOSTABLE PLATES AND UTENSILS FOR YOUR USE and have arranged for a company to pick up our compostables.

Here are some guidelines:

Bring enough food in your category for at least 4 times the number of people in your party (e.g. a family of four should bring enough food for at least sixteen people)

Please bring serving utensils for your dish.

Please bring one liter of beverage for every two people in your party.

All food must be DAIRY or VEGETARIAN – no meat, fish or shellfish

Haverford is a nut-free environment: No nuts.

Please PROVIDE AN INGREDIENT LIST for all food contributions, to assist those with allergies.

If your last name begins with:

On Rosh HaShanah please bring: And on Yom Kippur please bring:

A - D Salads Breads and Spreads

E - J Desserts Salads

K - M Entrees Salads

N - S Entrees Desserts

T - V Salads Breads and Spreads

W - Z Breads and Spreads Entrees

Please mark all dishes and utensils with your name, and remember to pick them up and take them home the same day.

Think of alternatives to breads and starchy, heavy foods. This is particularly true for Yom Kippur when people are breaking their fast.

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SUKKOT TO SHEMINI ATZERET Raise the Sukkah! Tuesday, October 3 – daytime To help, contact Maria – maria@mishkan.org Decorate the Sukkah! Wednesday, October 4, 6:00 p.m. Decorate the Sukkah with our congregational school Sukkot Morning Thursday, October 5, 10a.m.- noon Sukkot Morning service led by Rabbi Yael, Rabbi Shawn AND Rabbinic Intern, Claire Brunhild. Friday, October 6, 5:45 pm Celebrations! Sensory sensitive Sukkah party Shabbat and Sukkot - Saturday, October 7 9:00 a.m. - Sukkot Torah study with Rabbi Shawn 10:00 a.m. - Shabbat Sukkot Service with Rabbi Yael, Rabbi Shawn and A Way In Mindfulness service, Hallel Come one, come all!

Sukkot Open House– Saturday, October 7, 5:00 p.m. at the home of Chris Jacobs and Nancy Post – rsvp to maria@mishkan.org for address

Special invitation to new members! Sukkot Potluck for New and Prospective Members! Sunday, October 8, 5:00 p.m. at the home of Rabbis Shawn and Simcha Zevit

Simchat Torah – Wednesday, October 11, 6:30 p.m. Come celebrate as we dance, sing and unroll the entire Torah. We will honor all we have learned through the preceding holidays and on our life-long journey. We will read the last section of the Torah and begin again as we each connect with the message the Torah has for reach of us. Bring a line from your own Bar or Bat Mitzvah to share in the celebration! Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah –Thursday, October 12, 10:00 a.m. Shacharit/morning service in partnership with Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan at Germantown Jewish Centre, 400 West Ellet St, Philadelphia. Led by Rabbi Shawn, Rabbi Dayle Friedman and Dorshei Derekh leaders

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LOCATION

Morning services on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and all services on Yom Kippur will be held at the Haverford School.

Evening services on Rosh Hashanah and services on the second day of Rosh Hashanah will be held at Mishkan Shalom.

We are fortunate to return to a beautiful space to hold many of our Yamim Noraim services. The Haverford School at 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 accommodates our needs excellently. There is ample, comfortable space for our services, our children’s programming, our study sessions, and our holiday meals. We also once again have the blessing of being able to spend part of the Yamim Noraim at Mishkan Shalom. Last year, we truly enjoyed being in our own building for Rosh Hashanah evening and for the second day of Rosh Hashanah and we look forward to being home for these services again this year. The comfort, familiarity, and joy we share in being in our own home adds to the beauty of the holiday celebration. FEE SCHEDULE FOR GUESTS

Mishkan Shalom has a wonderful, inclusive tradition of welcoming any and all guests to our High Holiday Services. We encourage guests to pre-register for the High Holidays visiting our registration page by visiting https://mishkan.org/donations The suggested fee for guests in $360 /adult for all services. Guest fees for prospective members may be applied to membership when joining by November 1, 2017. All contributions are tax deductible. Please send contributions or registrations to Mishkan Shalom, 4101 Freeland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19128