High Holy Day News

Established 1858

Special High Holy Day News 5773 Brings Innovative Changes!

New Service Times, New Service Formats

Opening our Doors The Installation of Cantor Ida Rae Cahana: An Evening of Inspiration, Beauty and Peace

New Offerings for a New Year

Saturday, September 8, 8:00 PM Temple

For most of us, the High Holidays represent the deepest connection to tradition. At the same time, they are also powerful statements about renewal and new beginnings. We start a New Year and we renew our own sense of ourselves and our community.

“Pitchu li sha’arei tzedek - Open for me the gates of righteousness,” are the words we pray during the Days of Awe, the high holidays. In my own head, I think of those gates as various metaphors for my own closed mind or heart or spirit; blockades that can be opened with the right nudgey intention. It is my intention this September to head off the year with a night of wonderful music and words to get me started in my role here as Senior Cantor, as well as to get us all started as we reboot, re-entering the secular school year and the new Jewish year.

Following a brief musical Havdallah service, I have asked our amazing clergy team of Cantor Emerita Judith Blanc Schiff, Rabbi Emeritus Emanuel Rose, Senior Rabbi Michael Cahana, and Assistant Rabbi Rachel Joseph to give the blessing of installation which I pray will remain with me throughout my years here.

Then, we will all participate in the opening penitential prayers, set to hauntingly beautiful music, as the Torah scroll covers are changed to white. Please join us and linger afterward over dessert as we dream of a sweet New Year together.

By Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana

As we prepare for this sacred New Year, Congregation Beth Israel is excited about connecting our Jewish and congregational traditions with new commitments. This year, we are creating two new opportunities to enhance our High Holiday experiences and deepen our connection to our families and our community.

Shanah tovah umetukah! – May you and your family be inscribed for a healthy, good year!

The first of these is a Multi-Generation Family Service on the evenings of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Recognizing that we live in a unique time when four generations of families might be celebrating together, CBI is offering a service for everyone. Rather than two evening services – Early and Late - repeating exactly the same service, we are offering a new service at 6:00 PM which will be open, welcoming and engaging for children and adults. We want families to pray together. Modeled on our very popular “Shir Shabbat” services throughout the year, these services will be lively, musical and engaging and share the themes of these Days of Awe on multiple levels – all of which should engender wonderful home discussions across the generations.

Ida Rae Cahana, Senior Cantor

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5773 . High Holy Days . 2012 Please Note Changes to Schedule of Services Rosh Hashanah

Sunday & Monday, September 16-17, 2012 Erev Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 16 Temple • 6:00 – 7:00 PM - Family Service – multi-generational, age appropriate for families and grandparents with children K – 4th grade and their siblings • 7:45 PM – Traditional Adult Service; also for families with children 5th grade and older Rosh Hashanah Monday, September 17, 2012 • 10:00 AM – Traditional Morning Service in Temple

Yom Kippur, continued Wednesday, September 26, 2012 • 12:45 - Study Break • 2:00 PM – Special service for Tots ages 0 -5 on the bima in the main sanctuary • 3:00 PM - Afternoon/Yiskor/Neilah Service, Temple • 5:00 PM - Teen Service in Shemanski Chapel, Sherman Education Building • Break the Fast in the Sukkah, sponsored by WRJ/Beth Israel Sisterhood

Sukkot

• 11:00 AM – Teen Service, teen led in Pollin Chapel

Sunday, September 30, 2012 3139 SW Fairmount Boulevard, Portland • 5:00 - 8:00 PM - Open House @ Rabbi and Cantor Cahana’s home 6:00 PM – Erev Sukkot Service

• 12:00 PM – Families and teens join the service in Temple for the Shofar Service

Monday, October 1, 2012 • 12:00 PM - Lunch and Learn in the Sukkah, CBI lawn

• 12:30 PM – Rosh Hashanah Reception in Blumauer Auditorium, across the lawn from the sanctuary

Simchat Torah

• 11:00 AM – Family Service in Goodman Hall

• 2:00 – 3:00 PM - Join us for a new tradition – Tashlich in Tanner Park, located in the Pearl District at NW 10th and Marshall Streets.

This is an easy, flat walk, less than one mile from CBI. No CBI transportation will be provided.

Sunday, October 7, 2012 • 6:00 PM – Consecration and Simchat Torah Service, Temple Monday, October 8, 2012 • 12:00 PM – Simchat Torah Lunch and Learn

Kever Avot V'imahot, Service of Faith Sunday, September 23, 2012 CBI Cemetery • 1:00 PM - 426 SW Taylors Ferry Rd, Portland

Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur

Tuesday & Wednesday, September 25-26, 2012 Kol Nidre Tuesday, September 25, 2012 Temple • 6:00 – 7:00 PM - Family Service – multi-generational, age appropriate for families and grandparents with children K – 4th grade and their siblings • 7:45PM – Traditional Adult Service; also for families with children 5th grade and older Yom Kippur Wednesday, September 26, 2012 • 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Traditional Adult service and for families with children 5th grade and older • 10:00 – 11:00 AM – Family service in Goodman Hall, multigenerational, age appropriate for families and grandparents with children K – 4th grade and their siblings

Please join us for a

Sukkot Open House at the home of

Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana and Cantor Ida Rae Cahana Sunday, September 30 • 14 Tishri 5:00 - 8:00 PM 3139 SW Fairmount Boulevard Portland, Oregon 97239 Please RSVP to Dara in the Temple Office, 503-222-1069 by Thursday, September 27.

The Board of Trustees invites you and your family to a very special Rosh Hashanah Reception honoring our new clergy

Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and Rabbi Rachel Joseph 1 Tishrei 5773 . Monday, September 17, 2012

Reception is immediately following the service in Blumauer Auditorium Catering by Alfresco Catering and Sheraton Hotel With thanks to the WRJ/Beth Israel Sisterhood for providing the sweets table

New Beginnings, Creating New Traditions Together

By Sydney A. Baer Executive Director

Some years the holy days come early, immediately after Labor Day, not giving our congregants enough time to catch their breath after summer and other times they come late, towards the end of September. This year, they come mid-September, but those of us enmeshed in the world of Jewish communal work know they will be right on time – they are always the 1st of Tishrei!

The planning has begun; we are excited to be weaving new experiences into our favorite traditions. We will begin with the installation Saturday evening, September 8th at 8:00 p.m. of our new Senior Cantor, Ida Rae Cahana by Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, Rabbi Rachel Joseph, Rabbi Emeritus Emanuel Rose and Cantor Emerita Judith Blanc Schiff. This promises to be a beautiful, meaningful and inspiring service and beginning of our holy day services and celebrations.

We know this is a very important time for our families. Our High Holy Day services are inspiring, best shared and help create family memories and traditions. As we did last year, we invite you to bring your lineal family members and friends new to Portland or new to our

community. And while we don’t sell admission cards, we are asking for donations of $180 per guest. We encourage you to invite your unaffiliated family and friends to join our congregation, as embracing new congregants ensures that we will be here for the future generations. Please call Dara in the Temple office, 503-222-1069, for guest admission cards for friends and family.

New this year We will be mailing admission cards to all members after the Labor Day weekend. Each member and those with families will receive 2 admission cards. You will not need admission cards for your children this year. You are welcome to join us for the service that best fits your family, either our new multi-generational family service or our more traditional evening service.

We will continue to extend guest admission cards to those new to Portland and new to our community. As always, we will provide admission for college students and those serving in the military.

Reciprocal agreements and admission cards Please call Dara in the CBI office to make arrangements for reciprocal tickets if you will be traveling and would like to attend services at a URJ congregation elsewhere. Family and friends from other URJ congregations may request reciprocal admission cards for all CBI services through their own congregations.

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Rabbi, continued from Page 1

Executive Director, Continued from Page 3

Many families will choose to return for the morning Family Service or the Congregational Service.

Not new this year Parking continues to be a challenge. While visiting New York City this summer, I admired their stacked parking lots – cars stacked 3, 4 & 5 high! Playmobile (toys) has a similar garage. I was trying to figure out how we could design a similar structure so we could squeeze 500 cars into our corner lot! Either that or The Jetsons’ garages…I’m still working on it. In the interim, we are arranging parking within the neighborhood, but as always, we encourage you to car pool, ride your bike, or take alternative transportation.

At 7:45 PM on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we will hold a single traditional High Holiday evening service, enhanced with Cantor Cahana’s selection of new music and musicians. These evening services will, as always, deepen the mood and strengthen ties to our Jewish and community traditions.

This year, we are also introducing a new tradition with ancient roots. On Rosh Hashanah afternoon, following the Reception, we will walk together a short distance to Tanner Creek Park (10th and Marshall) for the custom of Tashlich. Based on the verse from the prophet Micah (7:19) “You [G-d] will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea”, tashlich is a ceremony where with music, celebration and contemplation, we symbolically toss our sins into the waters. This brief and lively service is a wonderful way to conclude our Rosh Hashanah worship and begin to prepare for the awesome tasks of Yom Kippur.

Relieving ourselves of the burdens that weigh our hearts, we can then begin to seek forgiveness from those we have harmed and reconnect with G-d and with our inner sense of our highest self.

Join us for these wonderful traditions, new and old!

Ushering We need you! Please help us provide safety, security and dignity during the most beautiful and sacred time of our year. Ushering is open to any congregant 16 years and older. Ushers help our congregants by serving as hosts, checking admission cards, locating seats, assisting the elderly and physically challenged, and supplying prayer books.

As an usher, you will still be able to share this special time with your family and friends. Please call Dara in the CBI office, so she can connect you with the ushering committee.

We look forward to welcoming you to our High Holy Day services and celebrations. These are exciting times with new beginnings. Please help us welcome our new Senior Cantor Ida Rae Cahana and our new Assistant Rabbi Rachel L. Joseph. Come explore our new services, as we incorporate new traditions to complement old favorites and as we continue to honor our past, support our present and build for our future. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions or concerns.

Join Us for an Extra Special and Delicious Shabbat on the Plaza Friday, August 24, 6:00 PM Temple Lawn The weather guys are predicting a sunny celebration.

We are firing up the BBQ for an old-fashioned picnic supper in honor of Pierce Ethier, our devoted facilities manager for the past 40 years and for Ruby too, even thought she has only been on the job for the last 12 years!

We aren’t saying good-bye – we are saying l’hitraot and thank you for being such a special part of our congregation, our community, and the lives of our congregants. You will be missed. We wish you all the best!

There is no charge for this BBQ supper, but we do need to know if you are coming, so we make sure we have enough hot dogs on the BBQ. Please RSVP to Dara in the Temple office, 503-222-1069, by Wednesday, August 22nd.

Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana Cantor Ida Rae Cahana Rabbi Rachel L. Joseph Rabbi Emanuel Rose, Emeritus Cantor Judith B. Schiff, Emerita

1972 NW Flanders Street Portland, Oregon 97209-2097 Temple Office 503-222-1069 Education Department 503-222-2037 Fax 503-274-1400 www.bethisrael-pdx.org