A High Holiday Letter from Rabbi Rothstein
Dear Friends,
Rosh HaShanah is when we celebrate the birth of all of humanity, Yom Kippur is when we temper our hopes with the confrontation that the human condition is faulty, frail, and fragile, and on Sukkot we celebrate the vulnerability of life under the supportive canopy of the sukkah, and with our community as a whole.
At the beginning of the 5784 High Holiday season last year, it was impossible to imagine that we were entering one of the most difficult years in Jewish history in our lifetimes. In a way, we never had a post-chagim moment, still grieving for the loss of Jewish life and moving through a year of anguish, grief, and sadness. This year we will pray again for humanity to be better; we will cry, sing, dance, and call out to G-d, HaShem, to write us into the book of life, vitality, and harmony.
Let's begin 5785 with a month of gathering together for the High Holidays. Join the Greenpoint Shul for any and all parts of the month; be sure to reserve your spot below.
Shanah Tova Tekatevu Vtekatevm - may you be written and inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year!
B'Shalom,
Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
Tickets
Whether you are a first-timer or a long-timer, we look forward to having you join us for the High Holidays. Tickets are required for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services. Members receive a limited number of free tickets, and members of the general public are welcome to purchase tickets.
Financial concerns are not a barrier to registering for High Holiday tickets at the Greenpoint shul. Please reach out to us at info@greenpointshul.org, it is our honor to ensure that High Holiday tickets are accessible to all who seek to celebrate with us.
Member Tickets
Members who are up-to-date on their 2024 membership dues, and signed into their shul account, may register for their complementary member tickets here. Members received a 2024 dues invoice email and a link to arrange payment on August 12th. Please reach out to us at info@greenpointshul.org for assistance if needed.
To learn more about shul membership, join our community, and access complementary High Holiday tickets, please visit our membership page.
Public Tickets
Non-member tickets are $200 each for either Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur, or $360 for both holidays combined. Together with membership dues and donations, ticket fees help us make our High Holiday celebrations possible. Members of the public can purchase tickets here.
Kiddush Sponsorship
We're happy to offer light kiddush lunches after services at shul. These meals are open to all and offer the community an important opportunity to connect and relax. Kiddush sponsorships help make this possible, and are a wonderful way to contribute to our High Holidays. Please consider sponsoring a kiddush if you are able.
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Schedule
Family Programming
Family Shofar Workshop
The main mitzvah of Rosh HaShanah is to hear the sound of the shofar. Why do we blow 100 blasts? What animal horns are considered Kosher for a Shofar? What is the meaning behind the Tekiah, Shevarim, Truah? And most importantly, how do you blow the shofar? During this Greenpoint Youth program your child(ren) will learn about the shofar with Rabbi Rothstein, and practice blowing a real shofar with our Ba'al Tokeah, lead shofar blower, the Hon. Adam Perlmutter.
Babysitting
We'll have babysitting available from 9:30-1:30 on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and from 5:30-7:30 during Neilah. Please reach out to us at info@greenpointshul.org to reserve a spot.
High Holiday Learning
Igeres HaMussar with Yoni Kretzmer, Tuesdays at 7:45pm beginning September 17: Rabbi Yisroel Lipkin of Salant (the Salanter Rebbe) was one of the great Rabbis of Lithuanian Jewry. After serving for many years in the outskirts of Vilna he became a traveler. During his travels he sent letters back to his students in Vilna, the most famous of which is known as Igeres Hamussar, the "Letter of Ethics." In it, R' Yisroel lays out his psychologically based view of humans. While others put the emphasis on reason, metaphysics and mysticism, R' Yisroel viewed the human soul as an arena wherein all our different pulls and pushes clash. The letter is written in poetic Hebrew and therefore can be translated and understood in many ways. It will be exciting to dive into the mind of one of our greatest thinkers.
10 Reasons Why We Blow the Shofar, with Rabbi Rothstein, September 28 at 1:00pm: In this class we will unpack the 10 different reasons for blowing Shofar as written by Rabbi Saadiah Ben Yosef Goan of 9th Century Egypt. We will also consider aspects of Jewish law relating to shofar that draw out a deeper meaning and purpose to Shofar blowing and reflect on what the Shofar means to us as individuals.
Shabbat of all Shabbats - Yom Kippur as the Ultimate Shabbaton, with Rabbi Rothstein, October 5 at 6:00pm: If Shabbat is a time of community and connecting to HaShem, then Yom Kippur is that plus more! In this Shabbat Shuva (the Shabbat before YK) class we learn about how Yom Kippur is one of the most joyous days of the year, and consider how the liturgy and the holiday as a whole encourage us to connect with the Jewish people's past, present, and future.
*No prior Jewish learning experience necessary
Local Honey for Sale!
This year, we're again bringing in a sweet new year with local Greenpoint honey cultivated by shul member Tamar Solomon.
Tamar started her first hive in her parents' backyard in Queens four years ago. Three years ago, she expanded her apiary to Greenpoint where she currently has six hives sitting on the rooftop of an industrial building on Russell Street. Tamar harvests her honey in small batches and hand selects the frames to make sure that each batch has its own distinct flavor.
8-oz jars of honey are $18 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to support the Shul's High Holiday activities.
Rosh Hashana Dinner Under the Stars
Join us for our second annual backyard communal Rosh Hashana dinner. We'll eat, sing, catch up, and plant the seeds for a better, brighter year ahead. Tickets are required, please register here.