Due to circumstance beyond our control, this will be the last Shabbos that we will host Shabbat services at Chabad of Uptown this year of 5782 😅. As this year ends, we are infinitely grateful to you for being apart of our community. We reflect on the many solemn and joyous moments of the year and look forward to celebrating the upcoming month of holidays, the days of awe and the days of joy, followed by Shabbatot and holidays throughout the year of 5783.
Rosh Hashana we reflect how Hashem made man the center of the universe, and on this day we make Hashem the center of ours. This has added significance this year, as we enter a year of “Hakhel” — a year devoted to promoting Jewish unity and community gatherings.
Just before Moses’s passing, he gathered all of the Jewish people and reminded them that standing together “today” — despite all their differences — is what will keep our nation alive for all times. The commentators note that “today” can also refer to the one day a year—Rosh Hashanah—that all Jews come before G‑d as one unit. Regardless of where we are on our spiritual journeys, we set our differences aside and we pray together at this time of year. That’s why this Torah portion is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, and it is also why we prepare for the new year with additional prayer and communal activities.
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and sweet new year, nachas and joy from all those around you. Most importantly, may it be a year of “Hakhel” — of gathering all Jews together in Jerusalem, to once again hear the Torah read by the king, our righteous Moshiach!
Rabbi Chaim & Chanie
P.S. Lulav and Etrog set: Don't wait until the last minute! Please order here. Be sure to put "UPTOWN" in the note field.
LAWS & CUSTOMS
- Erev Rosh Hashana Selichot - Sunday is the last day of the Jewish year, and a day of preparation for Rosh Hashana. A more lengthy version of the Selichos prayers are recited in the early morning hours, before the morning prayers. In the morning prayers we omit Tachnun.
- No Shofar Sunday morning - The Shofar is not sounded on the day before Rosh Hashana, to separate between the shofar soundings of the month of Elul (which are a minhag), and the Rosh Hashana soundings, (which are a biblically ordained mitzvah, divine commandment).
- Annulment of Vows - Following the morning services, Hatarat Nedarim, the annulment of vows, is performed (the text for this procedure is found in most prayer books).
- Pruzbul - Since this past year is a Shemittah year, during which all personal debts are annulled, we make a pruzbul, in which we give over all outstanding loans to beth din (ecclesiastical court), allowing us to collect them during and after this special year. You can either do so verbally after the annulment of vows, or fill out this online pruzbul form.
- Visiting the Cemetery - It is customary visit the the graves of the righteous on this day and pray there, as the resting place of a righteous person is an opportune place to beseech the Almighty.
- Good Wishes - Upon the conclusion of the Rosh Hashana evening prayers in the shul on Sunday night, we extend to one another greetings of Leshana Tovah Tekatev Vitechatem, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."
- Traditional Foods - In the evening meal of Sunday night, we eat apple dipped in honey, the head of a fish, pomogranates , tzimmes (sweet carrots) and other foods signifying a sweet and successful year.
- Shehecheyanu (New Fruit) - On Monday night when lighting candles and making kiddush on the eve of the 2nd day of Rosh Hashana, a "new fruit" (i.e., one that has not yet been eaten this season) is placed on the table; the fruit is then eaten after kiddush. This is to enable us to make the Shehecheyanu blessing praising G-d for "granting us life, sustaining us, and bringing us to this season" (because the two days of Rosh Hashana are regarded as "one long day", the Shehecheyanu blessing, recited on the festivals by the women when lighting the candles and by the men in kiddush, requires an additional source of rejoicing).
- SHOFAR MONDAY & TUESDAY- The most important part of Rosh Hashana is that in the course of the morning and musaf service, the shofar (ram's horn) is sounded one hundred times, in various combinations of tekiah (a long blast), shevarim (a trio of broken sobs) and teruah (a staccato of short notes), in fulfillment of the primary mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The shofar serves to trumpet our coronation of G-d as King of the Universe, as a call to repentance, and to evoke the memory of the Binding of Isaac. Link: The Cry of the Shofar: Two Parables.
- Tashlich - On Monday afternoon, the Tashlich prayer service, in which we ask G-d to "cast away our sins in the depths of the sea", is recited at a body of water (sea, river, lake, pond, etc.) containing fish. We will have a community 15 minute walk to Tashlich after the afternoon service at 6:15 pm.
- Fast of Gedalia - Wednesday is a fast day mourning the killing of Gedaliah, we abstain from food and drink from dawn to nightfall; selichot prayers are included in the morning prayer.
Upcoming Events:
- SEPTEMBER
- Sun.-Tues. Sept. 25-27 - Rosh Hashana Services, Dinners and Luncheons. Special Children's program lead by Rivky Lazaroff and Chana Staal of Chicago!
- Mon. Sept. 26, 6:15 pm - Rosh Hashana Mincha & Tashlich Walk
- OCTOBER
- Tues.-Wed., Oct. 4-5 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast. Special Children's program lead by Rivky Lazaroff and Chana Staal of Chicago!
Fri. Oct. 7, 6:45 pm - YJP Pink Shabbat - Dinner Oct. First Fridays www.yjphouston.org/pinkaware - Sun., Mon. & Fri. Oct. 9, 10, 14 - Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
- Sat. Oct. 15, 8:30 pm - Young Professionals YAD, Moishe House & YJP Houston - Sukkot Sukkot Beer Garden and Biltong Demo & Pairing Event
- Oct. 16, 6:30 pm - Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!
Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim
Friday, September 23, 27 Elul
Candle Lighting & Mincha at 6:59 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat Services at 7:30 pm
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
Shabbos September 24, 28 Elul
Tehillim at 8:30 am
Services at 10 am
Followed by Shabbos lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen
Mincha at 7:00 pm
Pirkei Avos, Ch. 5 & 6
Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends at 1:44 pm
Living Torah
Sunday September 18, 22 Elul
Special Selichot for Erev Rosh Hashana at 7:30 am
Shacharis at 8:30 am
No Tachanun, No Shofar
Hataras Nedarim, Pruzbul, Visit Graves of Righteous
Rosh Hashana 5783
Sunday, September 25
Light Holiday Candles at 6:57 pm
Community Evening Service 7:00 pm
Children's Program 7:00-8:30 pm
Community Holiday Dinner - RSVP required
-- Eat apples dipped in honey, head of a fish, pomegranates, Tzimmes and more
Monday, September 26, Rosh Hashana Day 1
Sefardi Sunrise Minyan 6:30 am
Community Morning Services 9:30 am
Children's Program 11:30 am-1:00 pm
Shofar Service 12:30 pm approx.
Holiday Lunch Kiddush - RSVP
Mincha Service & Tashlich Walk 6:15 pm
Light Holiday Candles AFTER 7:49 pm
Evening Service 8:00 pm
Community Holiday Dinner - RSVP required
-- Eat new Fruit fo Shehechiyanu
Tuesday, September 27, Rosh Hashana Day 2
Sefardi Sunrise Minyan 6:30 am
Community Morning Services 9:30 am
Children's Program 11:30 am-1:00 pm
Shofar Service 12:30 pm
Holiday Lunch Kiddush - RSVP
Evening Service 7:00 pm
Havdalla & Holiday Ends 7:47 pm
Wednesday, Tzom Gedalia, September 28, 3 Tishrei
Fast begins at 5:59 am
Shacharis with Torah Reading at 6:45 am
Mincha with Torah Reading at 6:45 pm
Fast Ends at 7:35 pm
Good Shabbos!