WorshipShabbat Services The 6:30 p.m. Friday night service includes both Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv and this is a wonderful time for couples, individuals and families to be part of the congregation and greet each other. Following the service there is a kiddush which allows us time to schmooze with each other and say Shabbat Shalom. Once a month there is a Friday night Family Service for primary grade students and their families led by Rabbi Feldman which begins at 7:15 p.m. (see calendar page for dates). The Family Service includes prayers, explanations, a story and songs. A small Oneg Shabbat follows the service. The Shabbat morning Sanctuary Service is led by Rabbi Adam Feldman and Cantor Murray Simon, with additional participation by congregants who read Torah and/or lead parts of the service. The Siddur Hadash prayer book is used, and Etz Hayim, Plaut and Hertz chumashim are used by congregants who wish to follow the Torah readings in Hebrew or English. Services begin at 9:45 a.m. and conclude approximately 12:15 p.m. B'nai Mitzvah are scheduled at this service or, less often, at special Shabbat afternoon services. The Havurah Shabbat Service meets almost weekly (bi-weekly during the summer months). Times and dates are noted on the calendar page and in the Jewish Center newsletter, or you can call the office for details. This service, under the auspices of a long-standing Jewish Center Havurah, is a participant-led service characterized by lively singing, intense Torah discussions, moments of learning and experimentation (which may include special melodies, short discussions of prayers, or meditations) and music composed by a Havurah member. Services vary based on the preferences of the leader (there are different leaders each week for each part of the service); the Torah reading is shorter than in the Sanctuary, and there is no Haftorah chanting or Musaf service. Send an email to Herb Abelson for additional information or to be added to the Havurah service email list. On Shabbat Morning there is a variety of services for children and families:
Periodically there are other services offered on Shabbat; they will be announced in the newsletter and on the calendar page in advance. Babysitting is available every Shabbat morning downstairs in the Choir Room. Weekday Services Weekday minyanim are held on Sunday mornings (8:30 a.m.) and Wednesday mornings (7:00 a.m.), and start 15 minutes earlier on Rosh Hodesh and festivals. These traditional services offer everyone an opportunity to be together for worship and provides a way for congregants who are in mourning or who are observing a Yahrzeit to recite the Mourner's Kaddish. Since it is very important for mourners to be able to say Kaddish, we strongly urge you to attend whenever possible to help ensure we have a minyan. The High Holidays Please see our Resource page for details of the High Holidays Honors. Our services on both days of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur are led by Rabbi Adam Feldman and Cantor Murray Simon, with participation by congregants as well. We use Mahzor Hadash which provides us with the traditional Hebrew prayers and contemporary English translations. One of the highlights of the services is when we all gather for Neilah and Havdalah at the end of the day. The Jewish Center also offers a Classical service at the nearby Riverside School on the erev Rosh Hashanah, the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and on Yom Kippur. This service uses the Silverman mahzor. The Classical Service is led by Rabbi David Wolf Silverman, a retired Rabbi who lives in the community. This service includes a significant amount of davening and leyning by congregants. Youth services for children of several age groups are offered on the High Holidays. Family services are held during the late afternoon on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. The traditional Tashlikh service is held at the Carnegie Lake parking area on Rt. 27 approximately one mile north of The Jewish Center. Selihot services are held prior to Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish Center joins with other Princeton area congregations for Selihot, with services held each year at a different synagogue. For additional details on all the High Holiday services and events, please see your High Holiday tickets and information letter that are mailed out to all congregants a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah. Admission to High Holiday services is by ticket only. Any non-member who wishes to attend services may purchase a ticket by contacting the Office at The Jewish Center at 609-921-0100. Festivals Festival celebrations are joyous at The Jewish Center. We observe both days of all Festivals, and details on service schedules are made available shortly before each holiday. On the evening of Simhat Torah, a celebration including traditional dancing and music attracts hundreds of congregants and their children. At Purim, a family Purim "shpiel" precedes the megillah reading, with clergy and congregants serving as readers of megillah Esther. Also, services are held on Tisha B'Av evening, when the book of Eicha is recited. The Festivals are a great time to be at The Jewish Center. | ||||||||||
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