High Holy Days–Forms and Information

High Holiday Events and Programs — Forms and Information

Want to know what/when services/programs are available? Want to sign up? Here you are.

A one-page, printable summary of the High Holy Days at Har ZIon is here.

Please call the office (708.366.900) if you have questions or concerns or need a hand. Deadlines? If the form is not closed, you can still use it.

What’s on this page?

✡ High Holy Days Calendar of Services and Programming

✡ Days of Awe Services and Programs for Children

✡ Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur Tickets

✡ The Yizkor Book of Remembrance

✡ Participating in the Services:

- Volunteer to be an Usher
- Request an Honors at a High Holy Day Service
- Attend Services Online: Streaming Information, Obtaining a Machzor (High Holy Day Prayerbook) for Virtual Services, and viewing or printing the Book of Remembrance for the Yikzor service on Yom Kippur.

The deadline for most of the forms linked below is Friday, September 4, a few are Thursday, September 10, and one is September 15.

High Holy Days Service Calendars

Full listings of High Holy Days Services

A list of all main Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur services, with streaming information, is here.
A one page summary of the High Holy Days at Har ZIon that is suitable for printing and, if viewed online, has links to registration and streaming information is here.

See below for links to information on services/programming for children..

Rosh Hashanah – Friday evening, September 11, through Sunday, September 13. Because the first day of Rosh Hashanah is Shabbat, Tashlich is Sunday, September 13, at approximately 2:30pm at Thatcher Glen Pond. See Rosh Hashanah: Services and Schedule.

Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur – Kol Nidre is Sunday evening, September 20, and Yom Kippur is Monday, September 21. See Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur at Har Zion.

Tickets are required to go to services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (including Kol Nidre); see below.

You can find details and registration for main services during the Days of Awe though Looking Forward–High Holy Days Services and Programming at Har Zion.

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Programming for Children

All programming for children is in person only and all require reservation.

For all ages, at all times that a child is under Har Zion's care or supervision, a parent or another adult who is responsible for the child must remain on the temple grounds. You will be asked for the names and mobile phone numbers of these adults when you register your child(ren).

Children's Programming For the Days of Awe—Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur

For Preschool Children:

Camp Shana Tovah Services for preschool children: Rosh Hashanah day 1 and Yom Kippur only (requires registration)
High Holy Days Childcare for Children ages 18 months to 5 years, during all of the main Days of Awe services, both morning and evening (requires registration)

For School-Aged Children:

Camp Shana Tovah services and supervision for K-7 school-aged children, in the morning of both days of Rosh Hashanah and of Yom Kippur (requires registration)
High Holy Days Childcare for Children, for school aged children K-7th grade (before b'nai mitzvah), during all of the Days of Awe services, both morning and evening (requires registration)

You can find details and registration for all children's services, childcare, and supervision during the Days of Awe though Looking Forward–Programming for Children During the Days of Awe.

For the Festivals and Celebrations Before and After the Days of Awe:

The programming for children (and for adults and children) outside the Days of Awe is included with the information on their main services. See:

Some of these programs and services require registration and some do not.

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Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Admittance and Tickets

Har Zion members in good standing are automatically issued High Holy Day tickets; pick yours up from the usher station when you arrive for your first High Holy Day service.

If you are not a member, please use the appropriate link below to purchase/request your Har Zion High Holy Day tickets. Non-members will also pick up their tickets from the usher station when they arrive for their first High Holy Day service.

In all cases, you will pick your tickets up from the usher station when you arrive for your first High Holy Day service. Bring your tickets to all services you attend.

Everyone—even members—should be prepared to show identification if asked.

Har Zion members in good standing will automatically be issued tickets; pick yours up from the usher station when you arrive for your first High Holy Day service.
First time guest / Student / Preschool parents (Be our guests!)
Non-member, not first time attending High Holy Days at Har Zion (requires payment)
Guest of member (requires payment)
Online only for non-members (requires payment)
Yom Kippur Break Fast 5787 (requires registration)

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The Yizkor Book of Remembrance

Yizkor is a time we remember and honor our departed loved ones. Each year Temple Har Zion produces a Book of Remembrance listing the names of our departed, including a list of all people who remembered with memorial plaques in the temple. (Last year's Book of Remembrance.) This book is used in services four times each year: on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret (8th day of Sukkot), the 8th day of Pesach, and the 2nd day of Shavuot.

Including the names of our deceased loved ones in the Book of Remembrance is a meaningful tribute to them, “Ehtain Tzedakah bah-ah-dah...I will donate charity in her or his sake.”

Please fill out this form online: Form to add names to the Har Zion Book of Remembrance. This saves the "middle man" problem that we have had when people either call the office or use the paper form that you were sent by US mail.

Note: If you want to repeat the same list as you used last year, or maybe just add/subtract a person or two, please send email to office@wsthz.org and we will work it out.

The deadline to submit this form is Thursday, September 10.

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Participating in the Services

Volunteer to be an usher.

Our volunteer ushers are a very important part of the High Holy Days. Please volunteer here.

About Ushering, from Jon Henry of the (hard-working!) Har Zion Security Committee (security@wsthz.org):

Each year we rely on volunteers to make our High Holy Days ticketing and check-in process welcoming, efficient, and safe. As in years past, we are looking for three "categories" of volunteer. Anyone is welcome to be an "indoor greeter," i.e. usher; CSS-trained individuals (Community Security Service) can volunteer as an "outdoor greeter" in coordination with the hired security, and finally Har Zion office staff (or someone approved by our office staff) can sign up to distribute tickets. Further instructions will follow once we have our full lineup of volunteers.

Thank you in advance for your help and support!

Take part in a Service with an Honor: Readings, Aliyot, the Ark, the Torah.

Taking part in a service can add meaning to the service. You can participate with a reading in Hebrew or English, being called up for a Torah blessing/Aliyah, opening or closing the Ark, orr by carrying, lifting, or dressing the Torah. Please volunteer here.

Are you planning on attending services virtually?

As with all Har Zion services, these services are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, and Zoom.

Zoom for the High Holy Day services (Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur): Members will receive the Zoom ID and password for the High Holy Day services automatically by email; non-members will receive it by email also, when they obtain tickets.

Streaming for services during the High Holy Days season are as follows:

All adult services stream on: Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. (Children’s services are in person only.)
The Zoom ID and password for Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, and Yom Kippur services will be emailed to everyone with tickets.
All 10am morning services: Zoom ID# 242 651 284 (which does not include Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre, or Yom Kippur)
The morning services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which start at 8:45am, will use a special Zoom ID and password, which will be sent by email to everyone who has tickets. They are also printed on the High Holy Day tickets.
The Erev Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre evening services, and the afternoon services on Yom Kippur will also use that same special Zoom ID and password, which will be sent by email to everyone who has tickets. They are also printed on the High Holy Day tickets.
Friday evening services except Erev Rosh Hashanah (which is on Friday, September 11): Zoom ID# 818 0357 8025
The Evening Festival services: Selichot on Saturday, Sept 5, and Simchat Torah on Saturday, Oct 3: Zoom ID# 814 4591 5201

You will need a copy of the High Holy Days prayerbook. There are two ways to obtain a copy:

If you are local to Har Zion, you can borrow a machzor for the holiday season from the temple; please fill out this form to make your request. Be sure to return it after the holidays.
You can rent an online PDF copy of the Lev Shalem machzor for a minimal cost of $4 directly from the Rabbinical Assembly's RA Bookstore; click here. Note that you must be connected to the internet to use this machzor.

You will also need a copy of the 5787/2025 Book of Remembrance for the Yizkor service on Yom Kippur.

The Book of Remembrance is now available online, in two formats:

A copy that has one page of the book per page in the PDF copy; this one should be used when you view book online; click here.
A copy formatted for printing in booklet form: click here.
This one prints two pages on a single sheet, so it will use less paper; it is arranged so that it will be a booklet when you fold it in half.
Print it with the following options:
- Duplex (or maybe your printer says double-sided),
- And landscape with "flipping on the short edge" (or your printer might say calendar-style or flipping up / top-to-bottom duplex printing).
- Fold it in half after you print it and read it like a book..

If you have a problem submitting a form, please note that if there is a red asterisk with the question you must provide a response. If you are still having a problem, call or email the temple office (708.366.9000 or office@wsthz.org).