High Holy Day Mornings
Ritual Guide
What to do and expect during the rituals and services of Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur. Below you will find the different sections of the service along with a brief description to help you orient and prepare. This guide is based on the Shabbat Morning Upshot written by Rabbi Sarah Krinsky, adapted by Eliana Echols and Rabbi Louis Polisson for the CBI community.
Birkhot Ha-Shaḥar
What It Is
Originally said upon waking and arising, these blessings express gratitude for being awake, for being alive, and for being right here—who we are, where we are, as we are.
Where it Is (in Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Pages 34-44
What You Do
Find your bearings. Arrive and settle into the space.
Pesukei De-Zimra
What it Is
Before we enter the formal service, we have to warm up—warm up our voices, our hearts, and our prayer muscles. These verses of song, largely selections of psalms, give us the chance to begin accessing the inner places from which we pray.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Pages 45-68
What You Do
Sing out loud, even if you don’t know the words.
Shaḥarit
What it Is
Shaḥarit, the morning service, begins with an appreciation for the ever-renewing creation of the world with light. Next, it moves to expressions of love—God’s love for us, our love for God, and our love for one another. It culminates in a message of redemption, and of the power of light and love to liberate us. The service’s centerpiece is the shema (literally meaning hear), in which we cover our eyes so we can listen attentively.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
69-94
What You Do
Explore the liturgy. Follow along with the congregation or stay on a word or a phrase that grabs your attention.
Amidah
What it Is
The Amidah (which literally means “standing prayer”) is the liturgical pinnacle of every service. For those who are able, it is said standing. The Amidah captures Judaism’s main modes of prayer: praise of God, petition from God, and gratitude for God and God’s world. The Shabbat morning Amidah also offers a sanctification of the holiness of this day of rest.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Rosh HaShanah Silent Amidah pages 11-17
Rosh HaShanah Leader’s Repetition of the Amidah 81-91
Yom Kippur Silent Amidah pages 213-221
Yom Kippur Leader’s Repetition of the Amidah pages 252-270
What You Do
Take a moment for yourself. Get in touch with where you’re at, with what you appreciate, and with what you need.
Torah Service
What it Is
We now recreate the experience of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Each person in the congregation becomes a recipient of a new form of divine revelation, listening to the ancient words and incorporating their messages into our lives, communities, and understanding of our world. The Torah service also includes a special blessing for those in need of healing.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Rosh HaShanah pages 96-123 (including the Shofar Service)
Yom Kippur Morning pages 274-298 (including Yizkor, the Memorial Service)
What You Do
Read along with the communal recitation. Peruse the commentaries. Experience the joyous celebrations.
Shofar Service
What it Is
The Shofar is an ancient musical instrument, traditionally made of a ram’s horn (though the horn of an antelope, gazelle, or goat may be used!). The “cry” or sound of the Shofar is meant to awaken deep emotions in all who hear it. It is a signal for attention, reflection, and turning to one's soul, returning to the Divine attributes within, inspiring us to become our best selves.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Rosh HaShanah (only!) pages 118-120, except on Shabbat
What You Do
Listen attentively and let the sound move through you. Some may choose to close their eyes. Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that arise.
Musaf
What it Is
The Musaf service is the extra service added on Shabbat, festivals, holidays, and other sanctified times. It gives us a second chance at expressing what is in our hearts. Most of the Musaf service consists of an additional Amidah, similar to the Shaḥarit Amidah but heavier on language remembering the ancient sacrifices, the exile of Jews from the Land of Israel, other remembrances, and expressions of hope for the future. On the High Holy Days, this is when some of the most powerful and iconic piyyutim (liturgical poems) are recited. The Shofar is also blown again a few times during the leader’s repetition of the Musaf Amidah. You don't want to miss it!
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Rosh HaShanah pages 125-171
Yom Kippur pages 298-359
What You Do
Same as the Shaḥarit Amidah, but you get to do it again, so don’t hold back.
Closing Songs
What it Is
An orientation of prayer isn’t something we flip the switch and turn off or on. The closing songs help us move from a mode of prayer back into the mode of the holiday, taking with us the fullness of what we experienced during the service into the rest of our day and lives. This is also the moment when people say the Mourner’s Kaddish for those they have lost.
Where it Is (Maḥzor Lev Shalem)
Rosh HaShanah pages 172-175
Fun Fact: on Yom Kippur, we don’t do Ein Keloheinu or Aleinu after Musaf! Ask Rabbi Louis why if you’re interested…
What You Do
Breathe, sing, and smile. We’ve made it; lunch is near! (At least on Rosh HaShanah…)
High Holy Days in a Nutshell
SHOW UP
Each person, no matter if it’s our first or 100th time, changes the contours of the collective prayer experience. We pray most fully when we pray in community. Thank you for showing up.
OPEN UP
The goal of prayer is to access the places within ourselves that we otherwise cover up, and to connect what we find to the experiences of our tradition and the experiences of those around us. The first step is willingness to be vulnerable, to open ourselves up, and to take a deep and honest look at what’s inside.
SPEAK UP
Jewish prayer has moments of silence, song, and togetherness. In all of those moments, Jewish prayer is guided by words, ideas, and emotions. These can be the words of the siddur (prayer book), or words of your heart; the experiences of our ancestors or our experiences here and now. Whatever they are, add your voice. Add your song. Add your prayer. Whatever you bring with you into this room—the good, the bad, the celebratory, the challenging—now is the time to let it out.