Shalom Friends,

As we approach the New Year, we are looking towards our new life in our own home.  The synagogue offers many new opportunities for our congregation to grow.  What better way to herald a new beginning than by celebrating the High Holidays together, creating sacred space and participating in shared experiences. 

Membership Dues

Membership dues for this year (July 2022–June 2023) are $1800 per two-adult family and $900 for single-adult family. As always, interfaith spouses and partners are welcome as full members, and membership includes High Holiday tickets. For those facing financial hardship, Bet Chaverim will discreetly work with families and individuals to ensure you have a spiritual home.  No congregant will ever be turned away or made uncomfortable due to financial circumstances.  Please contact Steve Bloom (sdbloom1227@gmail.com) or Marty Leshin(leshin_marty@comcast.net) with dues questions.

 

For questions about membership or to purchase tickets for friends or relatives who would like to join us for the High Holidays, please contact: Steve Bloom:  443-520-8489

 

Holiday Service Locations

Bet Chaverim’s Board and volunteer committees are working hard to ensure another successful holiday season.  Rabbi Kim Blumenthal will be joined again on the holiday bimah by Rabbi Marci Jacobs.  This year, due to schedule conflicts at our previous location, we will hold our High Holiday Services at the following locations:

Rosh Hashanah First Day (Monday, Sept 26^th) – Ten Oaks Ballroom – 5000 Signal Bell Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029

Rosh Hashana Second Day (Tuesday, Sept 27^th) – Bet Chaverim Building, 8930 Old Annapolis Road, Suite C, Columbia, MD 21045

Kol Nidre (Tuesday night, October 4^th) and Yom Kippur (Wednesday, October 5^th) – Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246, Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045

Holiday Food and Personal Care Product Drive

Please remember that again this year, Bet Chaverim’s Social Action/Green Committee is sponsoring a Food Drive for the Howard County Food Bank. As we celebrate the birth of the world, congregants have the opportunity to practice Tikkun Olam by donating dry and canned food goods, and personal care items such as toothpaste and diapers. These will be delivered to those in need in our community.  Large blue receptacles will be available at our services for collecting your food and other product donations. Our drop-off locations and times are at each of the locations for services and at our building starting September 18^th through October 4^th.

Your 5783/2022 High Holiday Information

Below you will find Bet Chaverim Congregation’s High Holiday Information for 5783/2022. Additional details will be published in future Chai Lights, and will appear on our High Holiday tickets and our web site. This packet will enable you to:

• See the highlights of our holiday schedule at a glance.
• Order guest tickets.
• Order Machzors (high holiday prayer books).
• Sign up to usher during holiday services.
• Publicly remember loved ones in our Yom Kippur Book of Remembrance.
• Participate in childcare activities.

Please take a few minutes to review this packet, and abide by the Friday, September 16^th Deadline, so that we can meet everyone’s needs in a timely manner. 

We are providing three forms, below, to facilitate volunteering as ushers, submitting names to our Yizkor Book of Remembrance, and requesting guest tickets.

Click here to volunteer as ushers: https://www.bet-chaverim.org/form/high-holiday-ushers-20221.html

Click here to submit names to our Yizkor Book of Remembrances: https://www.bet-chaverim.org/form/yizkor-book-of-remembrances-20221.html

Click here to request guest tickets: :  https://www.bet-chaverim.org/form/guest-tickets-order-form-20221a.html

ALL PAYMENTS OR DONATIONS SHOULD CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE FOR THE FUNDS AND SHOULD BE MAILED TO: 

Bet Chaverim

c/o Steve Bloom

6912 Mystic Woods Way

Columbia, MD  21044

 

High Holiday Ticket Information

As noted earlier, membership in Bet Chaverim Congregation includes High Holiday tickets. This year, we anticipate tickets will be mailed the September 16^th. To receive tickets at that time, members must have either paid their dues in full or have made payment arrangements with Steve Bloom, Treasurer by September 15^th.  

Services this year will be in person with a streaming option. In order to get a link for services, dues will either have to be paid in full or financial arrangements made with our treasurer. Those individuals who buy tickets will also receive them and the link to stream services.

Please Update Membership Database

If you have not already done so, please help us update our Membership Database by providing revised information if you have moved, changed phone numbers, or wish to report other changes in status. Importantly, we maintain Yahrzeit information in our database, so we can provide advance reminders to members. Please send any updated Membership information by email to Marty Leshin (leshin_marty@comcast.net) or by mail to Steve Bloom at 6912 Mystic Woods Way, Columbia, MD 21044.

I look forward to greeting you at our High Holiday Services, if not before!!

L’Shana Tovah,   

Marty Leshin, Vice President

 

 

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HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE for 5783

The upcoming holidays promise to be jam-packed with both religious and social events.  Estimated times for holiday services are provided below based on prior years’ experience; final times will be printed on holiday tickets, displayed on our website (https://www.bet-chaverim.org), and posted in Chai Lights. Services will be held in person and streamed from the different locations where services will be held.  Here is what we have to look forward to: 

♦ SELICHOT — Saturday, September 17th at 8:00 PM (Virtual). As the month of Elul draws to a close, the mood of repentance becomes more urgent. Prayers for forgiveness called Selichot are added to the daily cycle of religious services. This year we are joining the Conservative movement in their “Selihot Night Live” program. The program begins at 8:00 PM with a number of presentations and prayers and will conclude as is traditional after midnight. The link for this program is:

 

http://tinyurl.com/Selihot2022

♦ ROSH HASHANAH — Monday, September 26^th at Ten Oaks Ballroom, 5000 Signal Bell Lane, Clarksville MD 21029 and Tuesday September 27^th at Bet Chaverim’s Building, 8930 Old Annapolis Road, Suite C, Columbia, MD 21045

               Rosh Hashanah Services    9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

               Family service                     10:30 AM Day 1 only

(Led by Rabbi Blumenthal)

♦ TASHLICH — This year our service will be held on Sunday, October 2^nd from 10 to 11:30 AM at the Lake Kittamaqundi waterfront area behind Whole Foods. Our services this year will include the traditional, symbolic casting away of our sins by tossing breadcrumbs into the water, as well as a brief family-friendly service. B.Y.O.B. – Bring Your Own Bread (and cast away your sins).  All are welcome to come.

♦ KOL NIDRE and YOM KIPPUR — Tuesday and Wednesday, October 4^th and 5th

• Evening Services – Tuesday October 4th, at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045
• Kol Nidre                          6:15 PM (sharp)
• Yom Kippur – Wednesday, October 5th, at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045.

               Morning Service                 9:30  AM

               Yizkor                                   11:30 AM (approximately)

               Mincha/Ne’ilah                   5:30  PM

               Havdallah/Final Shofar Blast  7:20 PM                               

 

♦ SUKKOT — Join us to celebrate Sukkot with an outdoor Shabbat service, Saturday morning, October 15th at 10:00 AM at the Howard County Conservancy. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your lulav and esrog (if you have one) for this fun event that will include a short walk to enjoy the connections between the liturgy and nature.

♦ SHEMINI ATZERET/YIZKOR AND SIMCHAT TORAH — Monday, October 17th at 6:00 . We will hold a Yizkor service for Shemini Atzeret, then transition into our Simchat Torah celebration. There will be special activities for our youth (details to follow).

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MACHZOR ORDER INFORMATION

We encourage our families to purchase Machzors, if they do not have them.  They are $60 apiece and must be ordered by September 12th.   If you wish to purchase a Machzor, let Marty Leshin know howmany you would like at leshin_marty@comcast.net 

 

HIGH HOLIDAY CHILDREN’S ROOM

A children’s room has been reserved at each location where our services will be held. We are unable to secure the services from a babysitting service due to their lack of staff. We encourage parents to take turns supervising the space. Children are welcome to enjoy the space for games, snacks and socializing, provided there is adult supervision present. 

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, elementary school children and their families are encouraged to join us in the sanctuary at 9:30 AM to help the rabbis lead the morning service. Throughout the morning, there will be opportunities for these students to enjoy activities with Rabbi Blumenthal and lead the congregation in the Shofar Service (approx. 11 AM).