Welcome to the High Holy Days at Temple Israel! Our diverse schedule offers something for everyone, including special family-focused services and engaging activities, a new Awakening alternative morning service designed to bring a fresh perspective and ignite personal introspection, and exercises to recharge and reset. Childcare offerings are available to allow you to fully immerse yourself in this sacred time. Join us as we embark on a meaningful season together and embrace the possibilities of a new year. Shanah Tovah!
Free, Quick, and Easy Entry
This pass registers you for High Holy Day Services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. To register for specific activities during all the High Holy Days, see the links in the schedule below.
Childcare
Children of all ages are always welcome to join their families during our worship services; however, we also offer complimentary childcare that will be available for children ages 18 months to 5 years old for Erev Rosh Hashanah from 7:30 PM-9 PM, Rosh Hashanah from 10 AM-12 PM and Yom Kippur from 10 AM-12 PM.
To ensure we have adequate staffing and space available, please register online early. Check-in for childcare will open 30 minutes prior to each service. Children should be dressed comfortably for play and movement.
Thank you to Temple Israel’s Sisterhood for making High Holy Day Childcare possible!
To ensure a safe and smooth High Holy Day season please remember:
- Register beforehand if you plan on attending in person
- Arrive early and allow time to secure parking, check in, and find a seat
- Please arrive through the Sanctuary entrance. The Welcome Center doors will be closed
Jump to a Section
CELEBRATION & SHABBAT FOR RABBI JEFF DREIFUS’ MOVE TO ASSOCIATE RABBI | Friday, September 27
5 PM
Preneg
6 PM
Service
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
7:30 PM
Music, Drinks & Dinner
We invite you to join us for a great meal and amazing music from Elana Arian following the Shabbat service.
SELICHOT CELEBRATION | Saturday, September 28
7:00 PM
Coming Home: Selichot with Elana Arian
This year’s High Holiday season officially kicks off with an evening of song and spirit with artist in residence Elana Arian, Cantorial Soloist Eleanor Tallie Steinberg, Rabbi Ross Z. Levy, and special musical guests. Selichot, meaning “forgiveness”, marks the official beginning of the High Holidays, encouraging us to reflect before the New Year. The evening will conclude with a dessert reception after the service. Danziger Chapel
APPLES & HONEY FESTIVAL | Sunday, September 29
11:30 AM
Apples & Honey Festival
Join us in celebrating a sweet new year at our annual Apples and Honey Festival, featuring games, crafts, food trucks, and artisan vendors! Open to the entire Jewish community. This event has been generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Temple Israel Campus
EREV ROSH HASHANAH | Wednesday, October 2
7:30 PM
Erev Rosh Hashanah Service
Sermon by Rabbi Ross Z. Levy, “Cornerstones: Our Temple and You”
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
ROSH HASHANAH | Thursday, October 3
9-9:30 AM
Rosh Hashanah Tot Service
Recommended for ages 5 and below. Parents must accompany children under the age of 12.
Danziger Chapel
Learn about our Tot Community!
10 AM
Rosh Hashanah Family Service
Recommended for ages 5 years and older. Parents must accompany children under the age of 12.
Danziger Chapel
10 AM
Rosh Hashanah Morning Service
Sermon by Rabbi Micah Greenstein, “The Most Important Jewish Question To Ask In 2024/5785”
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
SHABBAT SHUVA | Friday, October 4
6 PM
Save A Life, Save A World
Honoring Temple Blood Donors, Past, Present, Future with Rabbi Micah Greenstein and Happie Hoffman
Danziger Chapel
KEVER AVOT & TASHLICH | Sunday, October 6
10 AM
Kever Avot/High Holiday Memorial Service
Levy-Cooper Chapel at the Temple Israel Cemetery + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
4 PM
Spirit Walk
Rabbi Jeff Dreifus will lead us on an outdoor worship experience with mindfulness exercises, nature exploration, and Torah. A beautiful opportunity to find holiness in the world around us. Moderate trail walking on uneven terrain – meant for young adults & up.
Shelby Farms We will meet here for the spirit walk:
http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=35.140854,-89.834254
35.14085592718095, -89.83419860339998
5:30 PM
Tashlich (approximately 5:30 PM)
Come cast away your sins with Rabbi Ross Z. Levy for Tashlich.
Shelby Farms – Hyde Lake Pavilion – MAP HERE
7 PM
Erev: The Night Before – An Evening to Commemorate the October 7 Attack on Israel
With Rabbi Micah Greenstein, Rabbi Ross Z. Levy, Rabbi Jeff Dreifus, Rabbi Rinat Safania, Emily Groff Heilborn, Happie Hoffman, Eleanor Tallie Steinberg and Dr. Ari Zelig. This event is free, but we ask you to RSVP below.
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
EREV YOM KIPPUR | Friday, October 11
7:30 PM
Kol Nidre
Sermon by Rabbi Micah Greenstein, “A World Without Israel, Israel Without The World”
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
YOM KIPPUR | Saturday, October 12
9 AM
Yom Kippur Tot Service
Recommended for ages 5 and below. Parents must accompany children under the age of 12.
Danziger Chapel
10 AM
Yom Kippur Family Service
Recommended for ages 5 years and older. Parents must accompany children under the age of 12.
Danziger Chapel
10 AM
Yom Kippur Morning Service
Sermon by Rabbi Jeff Dreifus, “To Be A Jew, To Care About Others”
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
11:15 AM
Kosher Kids: Family Goat Yoga Session 1, Ages 5 & Up
Meadow
12:15 PM
Kosher Kids: Family Goat Yoga Session 2, Ages 5 & Up
Meadow
12:30 PM
Rabbi James A. Wax Social Justice Panel
Led by Rabbi Micah Greenstein with panelists Dr. Russ Wiggington, Pastor Keith Norman, and Rev. Dr. Roz Nichols
Ettelson-Wax Social Hall + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
1:30 PM
TIMPO Music Program (Religious School/Families)
Led by Emily Groff Heilborn, Wendy and Avron Fogelman Religious School Students, and the TI Band
Danziger Chapel
What Being Jewish Means to Me (Adult)
Lead by Rabbi Micah Greenstein with Coach Ryan Silverfield, Diane Sachs, and Eleanor Tallie Steinberg
Ettelson-Wax Social Hall + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
2:30 PM
Torah Study
Led by Dr. Joe Levy
Meeting Room
Family Paint by Numbers
Ages 6 years and older.
Wendy & Avron Fogelman Religious School
Ruach Music Hour
Led by Happie Hoffman
Greenstein Sanctuary
4 PM
Yizkor Memorial Service
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
“Connecting Body and Soul: Spirit Walk into Jewish Yoga”
Led by Marcy Stagner, Jenna Kaufman, and Ruthie Lichterman. Spirit Walk led by Rabbi Jeff Dreifus.
Meet in the Atrium next to the fountain before walking to the Temple Israel Trail.
Temple Israel Trail
4:30 PM
Jewish Yoga in the Meadow
Led by Marcy Stagner, Jenna Kaufman, and Ruthie Lichterman
Meadow
5 PM
Torah Processional and Closing Ne’ilah Service
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
6:30 PM
Final Shofar Blast/bring your own shofar and join the symphony of Shofars
Greenstein Sanctuary + Livestream (timemphis.org & Facebook)
Congregational Break Fast
Ettelson-Wax Social Hall
Generously sponsored by the TI Sisterhood
EREV SUKKOT | Wednesday, October 16
6 PM
Erev Sukkot Services
Sukkot begins under the Wednesday full moon and thanks to our Temple volunteers, you can join us in our Temple Sukkah as we begin this fall festival for a brief musical service with Rabbi Micah Greenstein, Emily Groff Heilborn, and Eleanor Tallie Steinberg. Come Shake the Lulav, Hold the Etrog, and fulfill the mitzvah of entering our Temple Israel Sukkah!
Temple Israel Sukkah
COFFEE & CONVERSATION | Thursday, October 17
10 AM
Lunch & Learn
Rabbi Ross Levy’s presentation will be “Hallelujah and Pass the Mustard.”
Temple Israel Sukkah
SHABBAT SUKKOT | Friday, October 18
6 PM
Shabbat followed by Oneg in Sukkah
Services begin in the Danziger Chapel and end outside in the Sukkah under the Stars for oneg.
STEAK, SCOTCH & SUKKAH | Saturday, October 19
6 PM
Steak, Scotch & Sukkah
$18 per person . REGISTER HERE
Temple Israel Sukkah
PIZZA IN THE HUT | Sunday, October 20
5 PM
Pizza in the Hut – A Family Experience
Come celebrate Sukkot with us! We’ll shake the lulav and etrog, savor delicious pizza in our Temple Israel sukkah, and enjoy a screening of Toy Story under the stars in the Courtyard. Picnic blankets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own chairs for extra comfort. We look forward to sharing this festive evening with you!
Temple Israel Courtyard & Sukkah
SIMCHAT TORAH | Wednesday, October 23
6 PM
We Will Dance Again: Simchat Torah 5785
s we enter the new year, our day of joy and celebration also recalls memories of the tragedies of last year’s Simchat Torah. We hope you’ll join Rabbi Ross Levy and musical guests including Music Director Emily Groff Heilborn, Cantorial Soloist Eleanor Tallie Steinberg, Rabbinic Student Josh Less, and the Spirit & Matter Band for a rhythmic, musical, and joyous celebration of Jewish life. Building from the common Israeli refrain in remembrance of the NOVA Music Festival, nirkod shuv or “we will dance again”, we will enjoy an evening in the outdoor lawn in the inner courtyard with song and dance, showing that in the face of terror and tragedy, we will continue to celebrate the joy and light of Judaism.
Temple Israel Sukkah
YIZKOR | Thursday, October 24
9 AM
Atzeret/Simchat Torah Morning Service
A musical service co-led by Rabbi Micah Greenstein and Rabbi Ross Levy during which Yizkor will be recited for loved ones.
HIGH HOLY DAYS FOOD DRIVE
Help us convert every dollar into seven pounds of food for those in need in the Mid-south. As we fast on Yom Kippur, we feast on making food possible for Memphians who are hungry every day. Please donate to Temple Israel’s High Holy Days Food drive by sending checks to Temple, payable to Rabbi Greenstein’s discretionary fund (write Food Drive in the memo section). All funds will be given to the Mid-South Food Bank, MIFA, and MAZON: The Jewish Response to Hunger. An envelope will also be enclosed in the Voice for your convenience, or you can donate here.
Speaker Bios – Rabbi James A. Wax Social Justice Panel
Rev. Dr. Rosalyn Nichols
Rev. Dr. Nichols is a native Memphian and Pastor of Freedom’s Chapel Church (DOC) since 2001 where all are welcomed to love, grow and share together. In 1998 Dr. Nichols organized A More Excellent Way, Inc. with a mission to help individuals from all walks of life to enter into, engage in and maintain spiritually healthy relationships toward the elimination of relationship violence. She is the President and founding partner of MICAH (Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope), the Inter-Faith Officer for MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) and an Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., BEO Chapter member.
Pastor Keith Norman
Dr. Keith Norman is the Senior Servant Leader of First Baptist Church- Broad, located in the Binghampton community of Memphis, Tennessee. He accepted the pastorate, offering a ministry dedicated to serving a predominantly African American community in transition, one currently targeted for revitalization in housing, education, and crime prevention.
Dr. Russ Wiggington
Dr. Russ Wigginton serves as the President of the National Civil Rights Museum. He
assumed this role in August 2021 and brings vast experience in education, fundraising,
operations, and community engagement. Prior to assuming this role, Wigginton served as
the Chief Postsecondary Impact Officer for Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming
Education (SCORE) from 2019-2021, where he led the organization’s work for
postsecondary access, retention, and completion.
Speaker Bios – What Being Jewish Means to Me
Diane Sachs
Diane is a lifelong Memphian. She graduated from East High, earned her Bachelor’s from Rhodes College and her Master’s from University of Memphis. She had a 50 year relationship with Bob Vidulich who brought his three children into her life. She enjoyed a career teaching sociology at Rhodes College and was continually involved in the community through board memberships and volunteering, among other ways, as an English tutor, delivering meals for MIFA and sorting meds for the Church Health Center. “In hindsight,” she says, “I can see how the values implanted from early years at Temple Israel have guided my life.”
Eleanor Tallie Steinberg
Eleanor Tallie Steinberg is Temple Israel’s new Cantorial Soloist. Her musical journey began in her childhood years in Israel. Eleanor has toured extensively, and played over 400 shows across Israel, the Netherlands, and in over 40 states in the US, sharing her passion for music with many audiences. Since relocating to Memphis in 2013, she recorded two albums of original music. In addition to her performance career, Eleanor is LTT certified and a workshop leader through Louharya Center, based out of Israel. With five years of experience in consciousness and LTT therapy studies she fosters a deep connection between music and introspection. Eleanor’s commitment to communal and universal values through music and self-growth is a part of her vision as a music leader in our community.
To observe and maintain the sanctity of the High Holy Days, we ask that you refrain from photography and interacting with social media.
Thank you to the Temple Israel Brotherhood for supporting security, parking, and greeters for the High Holy Days and the Temple Israel Sisterhood for supporting the oneg, break fast, and childcare.
Thank you to the Ringel Family for their support of High Holy Days Music.
Thank you to the Kopald Floral Fund for the Sanctuary and Chapel flowers.