Sign In Forgot Password

High Holy Day Offerings

Child Care
 This year child-care and/or children’s programming will be offered during all High Holy Day services. (Please note, this includes evening services.) For children ages 1 to 4, babysitting will be offered. For children ages 5-7, a High Holy Day activity program has been specially designed. NOTE: This year, once again, child-care will be provided free of charge. However, you must still register your child so we can plan staffing and materials accordingly. Children will not be admitted without prior registration. We regret that we cannot accommodate infants under one year old or older special needs children. If you wish to provide a full-time shadow for an older special needs child, please contact the office to discuss if we can work out an arrangement on our premises. Parents of very young children need to provide diapers, wipes, bottles, and snacks. If your child is not used to being left with a babysitter, you should expect to stay at least long enough to make the transition. This will make things easier on your child and our staff.
B'YACHAD
This year we will again be holding B'yachad: A High Holy Day Family Worship Experience. It will include prayer in English and Hebrew with transliteration, singing, and interactive family activities. This service, held in the chapel, and led by Peri Smilow, is for families with children in grades 3 thru 7. Older siblings and relatives of children in grades 3 thru 7 are invited to attend with their families. Younger children should be enrolled in babysitting/child care. Please see below for more specific information.
Due to the of the popularity of the B'yachad service, we offer two different sessions on both Rosh Hashanah 1 and Yom Kippur, the first session starting promptly at 9:00 am, and the second at 11:15 am. Each family must choose the service that works best for them.  Please note that each service can accommodate 150 congregants and requests will be handled on a first-come-first-serve basis. If the session you request is full, you will be assigned to attend the other session; please honor your assigned time." Children will not be admitted without a parent. For the above offerings, please fill out the appropriate section of the online High Holy Day form. Families will not be admitted to B'yachad without prior registration. Anyone who would like to help in the planning and implementation of these services should speak to Nancy Friedman at (973) 699-6552. Children in Grade 8 and above are expected to attend services in the main sanctuary, unless they want to attend B’yachad with a younger sibling.
TOT SERVICES
For families of all ages, Rabbi Marc Katz and Cantor Meredith Greenberg will conduct High Holy Day Tot services in the afternoons of the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. Services will begin at 2:00 p.m.
rosh hashanah afternoon tashlich
One of the most moving customs of the High Holy Days is Tashlich where we symbolically cast our sins into the sea by throwing crumbs upon the face of the water. This exercise in teshuvah (repentance), accompanied by the recitation of Psalms and singing, begins on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. It will be held at Clark’s Pond (behind the Bloomfield Middle School) where we will once again be holding a single service for all congregants, young and old alike. We will gather at Temple at 5:00 pm and then walk over to the pond together. If you have never experienced this tradition it is something you and your children will remember always.
ROSH HASHANAH SECOND DAY LUNCHEON
This year we will be offering the customary holiday midday meal following morning services. The dairy luncheon is hosted by Rabbi
Marc Katz. Everyone is welcome to stay after services and join us in this community meal. Please RSVP if you will be attending through the online High Holy Day form.
KOL NIDRE OFFERING FOR FAMILIES
Want to experience the beauty of the tradition and music of Kol Nidre with your whole family, parents and children alike? This year we are once again excited to offer a family oriented evening program in the chapel immediately after the communal reciting of the Kol Nidre prayer. Jewish educator and song leader Rick Abrams and Cantorial Assistant Ronni Pressman will lead your whole family in a meaningful and relevant Kol Nidre ritual, sure to bring even our youngest participants a deeper appreciation of this holiest of nights. A special seating area will be provided in the main sanctuary at the start of the Kol Nidre service so that children and at least one parent can easily transition from the main sanctuary to the chapel for this special offering while the main service continues.
Yom Kippur Afternoon Discussion
For those who want to make Yom Kippur an all-day encounter, please join us in the library during the “gap” between the morning service and Yizkor for in-depth Torah study and discussion. This is a very informal discussion of some of the more enigmatic texts and themes of these Days of Awe. This session is an opportunity to share thoughts and feelings that inspire and sometimes even overwhelm or alienate us on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The Book of Remembrance
Each year it is customary for the congregation to issue a Book of Remembrance in conjunction with the Yizkor Service on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. This booklet offers each member the opportunity to memorialize loved ones. Throughout the centuries Jews have maintained this beautiful custom by making special contributions to the synagogue.
  

B’YACHAD - A High Holy Day Family Worship Experience

What is B’yachad?
B’yachad means “together” in Hebrew. This year Ner Tamid will once again provide families with a way to worship together as a family. B’yachad is an opportunity for a family with children in grades 3 thru 7 to share the joy and wonder of the High Holy Days during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning, in a more relaxed, interactive experience.
B’yachad is the only programming we are offering to children in grades 3 thru 7. We will continue to offer babysitting for children ages 1 through 7.
As this is a family experience, each child must be accompanied by one or more adult family members during the B’yachad program. No child will be admitted to this program without a parent/adult family member. 
How is B’yachad different from the main service?
Our program will offer experiential worship with song, study, prayer, and interactive family discussion. Our service will consist of a traditional High Holy Day liturgy and Torah reading. All prayers, however, will be transliterated, and music will be congregational. Dress is casual, and the service is accessible to all. Shofar will be blown and apples and honey will be served on Rosh Hashanah.
When is B’yachad?
The service will overlap our main service in the sanctuary. B'yachad services will run promptly from 9 to 11 am and again from 11:15 am to 1:30 pm on the First Day of Rosh Hashanah (September 30th) and on the morning of Yom Kippur (October 9th).
Who Can Come?
Families that include children in grades 3 thru 7 and their relatives. In addition, older siblings are invited to join their family at this service. Babysitting is provided for younger children. Older children are expected to attend the sanctuary service unless they are a sibling of a B’yachad participant.
Where will B’yachad be held?
In our beautiful chapel.
Sounds great! How do I register?
Just check the box on your registration form and let us know how many people to expect. It’s easy!
Who can I contact for more information?
Please contact our B’yachad service coordinator, Nancy Friedman at (973) 699-6552
 

High Holy Day Ticket Regulations

1) Non-transferable tickets will be issued at no charge to the following:

A)    adult members
B)    unmarried dependent children of members living at home up to the age of 30
2)      Other tickets are to be issued in accordance with the following schedule of charges:
A)    members of household not included in 1-A and 1-B are to be issued tickets upon request at a charge of $200 per person
B)    relatives of members who do not reside in the member’s household are to be issued tickets, upon request, at a charge of $200 per person
3) Any person with bona fide tickets issued by a congregation outside our geographic area will be admitted without charge as a courtesy.
4) Because of seating limitations, we are able to issue tickets only to those included in the above categories. To avoid overcrowding, you must register in advance. In fairness to all congregants, ushers will ask you not to save seats.
5) Child care will be provided for children ages 1-7, but only if they are registered in advance. Please advise us of your requirements for child care on the enclosed form. Any child receiving childcare must remain in the designated place for the duration of the service. We regret that we cannot accommodate older special needs children. If you wish to provide a full-time shadow for an older special needs child, please contact the office to discuss if we can work out an arrangement on our premises.  
Please cooperate with the child-care providers. Parents are requested not to “look in” on their children but to let the adult chaperone know where you will be seated so that you can easily be located. Please keep in mind that our chaperones are fellow congregants volunteering their time as well as people we have hired to enhance your High Holy Day experience.
6) B'Yachad: A High Holy Day Family Worship Experience service is available for families with children in grades 3 thru 7  and their older siblings (if desired). Relatives of B'yachad families are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Prior registration is required. (See page 4).
7) Children attending services in the Sanctuary or Chapel will not be permitted into the child-care area.
8) For reasons of safety, we ask that parents of infants kindly not bring strollers into the Sanctuary.
To avoid overcrowding, we must have your family’s request in advance for special services, B’yachad, or child care. We cannot guarantee that last-minute requests will be honored. Special seating arrangements will only be made for those submitting the enclosed form.
 
TICKETS WILL NOT BE ISSUED TO MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT IN GOOD STANDING. ALL TEMPLE AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOL DUES FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL AND 33% OF THE CURRENT YEAR’S DUES ARE TO BE PAID BY SEPTEMBER 1ST.
Cases requiring special consideration will be submitted to the Finance Committee for approval. Questions about your financial standing should be referred to Eric Fox, VP Finance at financevp@nertamid.org. All other questions should be directed to the Temple office at 973-338-1500
Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784