High Holy Days

TEMV maintains its long-standing tradition of open and free seating during the High Holy Days. Every year, we open our doors to anyone who wants to attend, selling no tickets, with no reserved seating. We’ve done this for the entire time the temple has been in existence. It is part of who we are.

We welcome all who wish to explore Jewish practice–our membership includes both Jewish and Jewish/interfaith families, families of multiple ethnicities and geographic backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ families and individuals.

Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of September 9; Yom Kippur begins the evening of September 18. We will be holding services throughout the holy days. All services at our temple on 101 W. Forest St. in Lowell will be led by Rabbi Robin S. Sparr with guest Rabbi Stephanie Wolfe.

Please see our service schedule for the High Holy Days this year. We hope you will join us!

Of particular note this year are our afternoon “family” services at 2:00 p.m. on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These brief, engaging services will include the liturgical highlights for each holy day, as well as songs, a story, shofar calls, and (on Rosh Hashanah) honey sticks! All are welcome — this is a wonderful opportunity for adults and children to worship together, as well as for those who may have other school or work obligations in the morning, are looking for a taste of TEMV, or would simply enjoy a shorter service. Invite your friends, neighbors, and relatives! We will also be offering concurrent children’s activities and babysitting (but not a children’s service) during our morning services on both days.

We use the Central Conference of American Rabbi’s new Mishkan HaNefesh (“Sanctuary of the Soul”) as our machzor (High Holiday prayer book).

Other Holidays

We celebrate other holidays in a variety of ways, including a second-night pot-luck Passover seder, a Tu B’Sh’vat seder, a Torah unrolling for Simchat Torah, and a rollicking Purim service. Check the calendar to see what’s coming up!