High Holidays 2012/5773
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Havurah on the Hill, in collaboration with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, is offering High Holidays services at the historic Vilna Shul on Beacon Hill in Boston. Services will be led by Yoni Bock who has led High Holiday services at the Vilna Shul from 2006 through 2010. Last year, we had a wonderful turnout from our community and we look forward to welcoming back those of you who attended last year as well as those of you who have never been to the Vilna Shul!
Havurah on the Hill is non-denominational, egalitarian and traditional. Services are conducted in Hebrew, intermixed with some English readings. As part of our learning services mission, we provide explanations and teachings throughout. Services are community-led, with a variety of familiar melodies and tunes.
Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis, and only 300 tickets will be issued per holiday. Please note this is a pre-paid event, and in order to be on the RSVP list, payment for this event is required by Tuesday, September 25th at 2:00 PM
Please sign up below, and send in your donation to attend this event. We will not be mailing out tickets; instead your name will be on the pre-paid ticket list at the door.
The suggested donations for High Holidays tickets are as follows:
- Suggested donation: $72/person per Holiday (Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur), or $118/person for both Holidays.
- Students: $54/student per Holiday (Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur), or $96/student for both Holidays.
Please note: If you cannot afford the suggested amount, please donate what you can. In the spirit of chesed, the Jewish tradition of acts of kindness, we encourage those who have the means to make an additional donation in support of other in the HOH community who cannot afford it.
High Holidays schedule is as follows:
- Sunday, September 16th - Erev Rosh Hashanah
- Mincha/Maariv 6:30 pm
- Monday, September 17th – Rosh Hashanah Day 1
- Shacharit/Torah/Yizkor/Musaf 9:00am – 1:30pm
Kiddush following services
- Tuesday, September 18th – Rosh Hashanah Day 2
- Shacharit/Torah/Yizkor/Musaf 9:00am – 1:30pm
Tashlich following services and Kiddush
- Tuesday, September 25th – Erev Yom Kippur
- Kol Nidre 6:00pm sharp
- Wednesday, September 26th – Yom Kippur
- Shacharit/Torah/Yizkor/Musaf 9:00am – 2:00pm
Mincha/Neila 4:30pm – 7:16pm
Community Shofar Blast to end Neila
Kosher community break-fast following services
Service Leaders
Yoni Bock, who was born, raised and educated in Boston, is our dynamic service leader. While living in Somerville from 1999-2004, Yoni attended Friday night services numerous times at the Vilna Shul and led services on several occasions. He also performed with Boston’s semi-professional a cappella group Honorable Menschen for many years. He holds a BA from McGill University, where he majored in religious studies and Middle East studies and an MA from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Yoni lives in Washington, DC and works in the area of international disaster response and humanitarian assistance.
Deborah Melkin has been involved with the High Holiday services at Havurah on the Hill since 2006. She first led portions of the High Holiday services while at Brandeis University. Deborah has sung with two different Jewish a capella groups over the years, Manginah (Brandeis) and Honorable Menschen, and has been singing with the Zamir Chorale of Boston since 1998. During the day, she works at a local software company as a database architect.
Willing to Volunteer
Services are highly participatory from our community. If you are interested in leading a part of the service, reading Torah and Haftorah, blowing the shofar, having an aliyah, speaking, or giving a D’var Torah commentary, please contact us below. We need you!
We are also seeking volunteers to help with the non-ritual aspects, such as ushering, greeting at the door, and serving food. This is a great way to get involved and also meet new friends. Please contact us if interested. Don’t be shy!
- For non-ritual volunteer inquiries, please contact Dan at dlachar [at] gmail.com.
- For ritual volunteer inquiries, please contact Sue at suecgilbert [at] gmail.com.
- For general questions, please contact Deborah at deb [at] vilnashul.org.
Please be prepared for additional security at this event. Your cooperation with security is expected and appreciated. To make the check-in process at the door quicker, please be advised:
- Your identification will be checked against the pre-paid ticket list.
- Please do not bring oversized bags, coats, or unnecessary items.
- There is no room for excess items in the sanctuary.
- All coats and bags must be left in the coat-room, and are not permitted in the sanctuary.
Directions and Parking
The Vilna Shul is T accessible by the Charles/MGH station on the Red line. Parking is available at the Charles River Plaza Garage on Cambridge St, near the Holiday Inn Select, at the intersection of Blossom St. (This is in the lower indoor garage - not the surface lot near Whole Foods). Discounted validation is as following
- Erev Rosh Hashanah - $5 with validation (After 4pm)
- Rosh Hashanah Day 1 & 2 - full price
- Kol Nidre - free with validation
- Yom Kippur - $5 with validation (After 4pm)