As part of the Shul’s ongoing duty to keep our community safe, Council has agreed that this year’s High Holy Day services should be held online only. Although Council considered options where some members might be able to attend in person, ultimately online-only services were considered the best option for all.

While this will give the day a very different feel from usual, your rites and practices committee have been preparing for this possibility for months and we have come up with a number of innovations that make the most of the opportunities Zoom provides.

Further details will be sent out on around 1^st September, by which time all arrangements will be finalised, but it might be useful for you to know at this point the range and timing of services. Most of them are similar to usual:

Erev Rosh Hashanah – Friday 18^th September

• 8pm Service

 Rosh Hashanah Morning Service – Saturday 19th September

• 9:30am Children’s Service
• 9:30am Torah Study Session
• 11:15am Formal Service

Kol Nidre Service – Sunday 27th September

• 8pm Service

 Yom Kippur – Monday 28th September

• 10:30am Morning Service
• 12:30pm Additional Service
• Services and activities in the middle of the day are being specially prepared to fit with the Zoom platform
• 5:30pm Yizkor (Memorial) Service
• 6:45pm Neilah (Concluding) Service

In addition to the above services there will be an array of other activities, including pre-recorded material that can be used away from a screen – for example, recordings of explanations about the High Holy Days by rabbis from across the Movement.

We will also take advantage of the fact we are online to share some services with other Synagogues who would normally be too distant for this to be possible (the Liberal communities in Bristol, Reading and Ealing, as well as the local SWESRS shuls).

As mentioned above, full details will be sent around at the start of next month.

With all best wishes,

Elliott Porte and Ben Glassman

Co-Chairs of ELELS Rites and Practices Committee