High Holy Days

Services will take place at Shalhevet High School (910 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036)

Erev Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 22, 6:30-8pm

Rosh Hashanah Day 1
Tuesday, September 23, 8:30am-2pm

Rosh Hashanah Day 2
Wednesday, September 24, 8:30am-2pm

Tashlikh
Sunday, September 28
West Side: Santa Monica Beach Lifeguard Stand 26, 2600 Ocean Front Walk
Time: 5pm beach clean up/5:15pm picnic/5:45pm ritual
East Side: Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park (formerly Marsh Park), 2944 Gleneden St
Time: 5:45pm ritual

Kol Nidrei
Wednesday, October 1, 6-8:30pm

Yom Kippur
Thursday, October 2
9am-1:45pm – until Yizkor
2-2:45pm – Yizkor
3-4:15pm – Break Sessions
4:30-7:20pm – Minhah & Neilah
7:20 pm – Break Fast

• Erev Rosh Hashanah
  • 6:30-8pm – age 2-5th grade
• Rosh Hashanah Day 1
  • 8:30am-2pm – age 2-5th grade
  • 9-9:45am – 3rd-5th Family Friendly Services
  • 10-10:45am – K-2nd Family Friendly Services
  • 10:45-11:15am – Bite Size (age 0-5) Family Friendly Services
  • 9-11am – 6th + 7th grade programming at Tom Bergen’s
  • 11am-12pm – 6th + 7th grade volunteering at Shalhevet
• Rosh Hashanah Day 2
  • 10-10:45am – 2nd-6th Family Friendly Services
  • 10:45-11:15am – age 0-1st grade Family Friendly Services

• ---

  Kol Nidrei

  • 5:45-8:20pm

• ---

  Yom Kippur

  • 9:30-10:15am – K-2nd Family Friendly Services
  • 10:20-11:05am – 3rd-5th Family Friendly Services
  • 11:15-11:45am – Bite Size (0-5) Family Friendly Services
  • 9:30-11:30am – 6th + 7th grade programming at Tom Bergen’s
  • 11:30am-12:30pm – 6th + 7th Grade volunteering at Shalhevet
  • 2-7pm – Children’s Programming (ends at 7pm)

IKARds are your High Holy Day Entrance Cards. They include your name and a unique QR code for the services you have registered for. You need an IKARd to get into any and all of our HHD services and programs. 

Members: Once you renew your membership for 5786 (FY25-26), you are automatically registered for all services and will be issued a (nontransferable) IKARd entrance badge automatically. Please look in your inbox or junk/spam for an email from Whova. Yom Kippur Break Fast does require an additional step: Members-Only Break Fast Registration.

All children, members + non-members, must register their child here: Children’s IKARds and Programming Registration

Guests: ALL guests (non-members) must register with their own, UNIQUE email at the Guest Registration website. Our scanning system will provide a unique code for each individual visitor.

IKARds will be available for pick up on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We strongly encourage you to pick up IKARds from our office or on Shabbat in advance of the holidays—this will help us get you in quickly and comfortably. And please remember to bring a valid photo ID and your IKARd every day.

Ezra IKARds are an important way we make sure everyone who wants to join us is able to, regardless of financial situation. Please email [email protected] to request financial assistance and allow us a few days to get back to you. We are committed to being an inclusive community, and deeply appreciate your partnership in helping us ensure that everyone who wishes to join us can be part of these sacred days. 

Now that you’re a full-fledged member, you should not be paying for an IKARd. Check your Spam/Junk email for your membership confirmation. That email has the link for members to sign up for High Holy Days.

ALL guests (non-members) must register with their own, UNIQUE email at the Guest Registration website. Our scanning system will provide a unique code for each individual visitor.

IKARds are non-transferable for security purposes. But they can certainly register themselves as a guest. We also do not offer reciprocity. 

Teens (8th-12th Grade)
Volunteer as Madrikhim (teaching assistants) in our kids program! Having the teens work in our program is a huge part of what makes it so successful! Teens can receive community service hours for their work, as this will be an unpaid position. Please fill out this form here!

Middle School (6th + 7th Grade)
We are offering 2 hours of special programming + 1 hour of volunteer time. Register here.

RH Day 1 9/23
9-11am Programming at Tom Bergen’s
11am-12pm Volunteering at Shalhevet

YK Morning 10/2
9:30-11:30am Programming at Tom Bergen’s
11:30am-12:30pm Volunteering at Shalhevet

What is the programming? Our special programming includes HHD learning and activities, including special guests, like staff from Camp Gilboa! Not only will we have specific activities for our 6th and 7th graders, we will also have our own location.

Where is this happening? The programming will be help next door to Shalhevet, at Tom Bergen’s.  

What will they be volunteering for? The middle schoolers will also be assigned 1 hour of volunteer work for the big HHD services, which can include things like passing out siddurim, the welcome table, music muffins, etc.More information about where your middle schooler will be volunteering will be sent out closer to our program.

Where will we meet? Middle schoolers will meet our Staff at the entrance of Shalhevet, next to security, to walk over to Tom Bergen’s together. If you are late to the program, please have an adult or teen volunteer walk over with your child.

IKAR High Holy Days are high and holy, but you’re the ones who make it happen. Sign up to volunteer with us; we’ve got tasks for everyone. Like schmoozing? We’ve got tasks for you. Like avoiding people? We’ve got tasks for you. Like working from home while watching The Bachelorette? (No judgments, we get it.) We have tasks for you, too. Even 30 minutes makes a difference. Start 5786 off with a mitzvah. https://signup.com/go/bUFUuLB

We’re excited to welcome our IKAR from Afar community, and all who would like to join us for the holidays from around the world for free, through our live stream. You can find us via YouTube and our website. IKAR from Afar members can also join us on Zoom; please note that each Service has its own Zoom link: Erev RH / RH 1 / RH 2 / Kol Nidrei / YK until Yizkor / Yizkor / After Yizkor through Neilah. And maybe next year in Los Angeles!

• There is a small handicap drop-off-only area in front of the building.
• Parking in permit-parking-only areas is relaxed around Shalhevet:
• DOES NOT INCLUDE (i.e. make sure to not park here or you’ll get a ticket and that’s a terrible way to start a new year):
• -Metered parking
• -Red zones, including bus zones
• -Yellow/White zones
• -Disabled zones
• -Alleys
• -Sidewalks
• Leave your car at home and use a ride-share service or an actual city bus. Check out Metro’s routes or, for West-siders, the Big Blue Bus.
• Scoot, Bike, Walk, Run, Jog, Skate, IKARpool

The earliest time is 30 minutes prior – so if services begin at 7pm, access would be at 6:30pm. Avoid lines by picking up your IKARd early.

Your ID. Whether you’re a member with IKARds ready in-hand, or a guest picking up on the day of, no ID = no entry. If you have your own Mahzor, we encourage you to bring it with you. We’ll provide copies of Mahzor Lev Shalem. If you have a kippah and tallit, please bring them. If you’re going to be with us for Yom Kippur afternoon yoga, bring a mat and towel (we’ll provide a storage space for your yoga mats). Don’t bring bags that you cannot keep with you. Just like at an airport, any unattended baggage will be confiscated by security.

A suit and tie. Or jeans and a t-shirt. Or something in between. Our services are not about your clothes, they’re about your spirit. We’re happy to have you no matter what you’re wearing – as long as you’re wearing something, please.

A tallit is worn during the day on Rosh Hashanah, and on Yom Kippur, the tallit is worn throughout all services, from Kol Nidre to Neilah. Our custom for all of Yom Kippur is to wear white, a sign of spiritual purity, and to avoid leather shoes. Wear comfortable sneakers, and bring sweats and a towel if you’ll be joining us for restorative yoga during the afternoon break.

We will provide snacks at various points during the day, as well as a vegetarian lunch. Please send your child with a labeled water bottle that we can refill throughout the day. If your child has allergies, it should be indicated on their IKARd. If it is not, please inform a Children’s Programming staff member. We’re prohibited from bringing food into Shalhevet due to kashrut, so please do not send your children with any food.

We appreciate your Yom Kippur contribution of any amount to support our work.