High Holiday Outside Service Update

Dear Outside Service attendees,

We look forward to praying with you on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Outside Service will take place on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur including Kol Nidre and Neilah (but not Mincha).

While you will receive your tickets directly from the WJC office, we wanted to let you know what to expect at the Outside Service next week. Information about other services, such as the Contemporary Service, the Family Service and the Teen Service, and information about Children’s Programming will be sent under separate cover. It will also be available on the WJC website. Starting times for all services will be sent out with your tickets and will also be available on the website.

The Outside Service will take place under three adjacent tents with the reader’s table, podium, and ark in the middle. The tent flaps will be up to ensure airflow so please dress accordingly. All seats will be distanced between pods and, as explained in the WJC email sent out on Sunday August 29, all participants over the age of two are required to wear masks at all times regardless of vaccination status.

A map of the seating arrangement will be distributed with the tickets, and we also hope to post maps near the tents, weather permitting. Because of the pandemic, there will not be ushers but we are making every effort to visibly mark the rows and seats. You will receive a Machzor at your seat.

Deluxe restroom trailers will be provided nearby in the parking lot so participants do not need to go into the building to use the bathrooms. That said, the door closest to the parking lot will be open to access the building if necessary

Rabbi Arnowitz and Rabbi Dalton will join us at various times during the holidays. The content of our service will reflect a blend of past sanctuary and study services crafted by our lay committee. The service will include some lay participation. Seth Schafler will be our prayer leader. Due to Covid we are unable to provide an honor to every family as we had originally intended, but certain participants will be called up to the Torah for aliyot.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to email either of us at Spshanus@gmail.com or Harold.Treiber@gmail.com. We will be sitting with our family in the tent closest to WJC on the far side aisle if anything comes up on that day about which we can be helpful.

The goal of our committee is to provide an experience that will be both meaningful and safe. Despite everyone’s best efforts, we know there will be last minute kinks and it won’t be perfect, but it will still be wonderful to return and share the holidays with you. We are grateful for the assistance of Seth Schafler, David Goldstein, our clergy, Jose Luis Fonseca and the entire synagogue office and custodial staff. We wish you and your families a Shana Tova and look forward to davening with you.

Sarene Shanus and Harold Treiber