High Holidays 2009/5770
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 since 2006. 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 noon on Friday, September 25th.
RSVP (2-step process, Donate then Register):
Please use the donation table below to help support our High Holiday services.
Once you complete your donation through PayPal, you will be redirected back to our site where you must provide the requested information in order to complete your registration.
We will not be mailing out tickets, instead your name will be on the pre-paid ticket list at the door.The suggested donation for High Holidays tickets are as follows:
| Suggested Donations | Or Donate another amount | |
| Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur |
$125 per person | |
| Rosh Hashanah (all or part of) |
$75 per person | |
| Yom Kippur (all or part of) |
$75 per person |
We adhere to the Jewish tradition of not letting money be a barrier to community participation. If you honestly cannot afford the suggested amount, please send what you can afford. On the other hand, if you can afford to donate more, your generosity is greatly appreciated to help pay for those who cannot.
High Holidays schedule is as follows:
Friday, September 18th - Erev Rosh Hashanah
Mincha/Maariv 6:30 pm - 7:45pm
Light Kiddush following services (no Shabbat dinner)
Saturday, September 19th - Rosh Hashanah Day 1
Shacharit/Torah/Musaf 9:00am - 1:30pm
Kiddush following services
Sunday, September 20th - Rosh Hashanah Day 2
Shacharit/Torah/Musaf 9:00am - 1:30pm
Tashlich following services and Kiddush
Sunday, September 27th - Erev Yom Kippur
Kol Nidre 6:00pm sharp
Monday, September 28th - Yom Kippur
Shacharit/Torah/Yizkor/Musaf 9:00am - 2:00pm
Mincha/Neila 4:45pm - 7:20pm
Community Shofar Blast to end Neila
Kosher community break-fast following services
Service Highlights:
Our service leader and speaker is Yoni Bock. Yoni, who was born, raised and educated in Boston, is a young 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.
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 Roneat at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
For ritual volunteer inquiries, please contact Jeremy at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
For general questions and inquiries, please contact Deborah at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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 carry-in items.
- There is no room for excess carry-in items in the seating area.
- 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 ($10) will available for Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre but not during Yom Kippur day.
