At a time when it looks like the world is falling apart and the forces of evil are flourishing, we invite you to join Beyt Tikkun: A Synagogue without Walls for a spiritually rich and politically relevant High Holy Days experience. Our services will strengthen your capacity for hope and faith in the possibility of a transformed world because you will be in a community of people who share your values and dreams.
At Beyt Tikkun, we believe in a Judaism of love and transformation. We heal ourselves and our world through joyful and meaningful spiritual practice, loving relationships, social activism, and revolutionary consciousness. You don’t have to be Jewish, religiously observant, or in the Bay Area to join us for High Holy Day services.
Beyt Tikkun: A Synagogue without Walls is inspired by the prophetic teachings of Abraham Joshua Heschel:
“To pray is to take notice of the wonder, to regain the sense of mystery that animates all beings . . . Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.”
“Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehoods. A liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement seeking to overthrow the forces that destroy the promise, the hope, the vision.”
Our 2023 High Holy Day services will be held on Zoom again this year. The second day of Rosh HaShanah will also be held in person (and on Zoom). We hope you will join us. [Please note that all times below are in Pacific Time.]
Kol Nidre | Sept. 24th, 6:45pm
Yom Kippur | Sept. 25th, 9:00am
The central message of Yom Kippur is to engage in individual repair and transformation of ourselves so we can bring our more fully healed selves to social movements and struggles for healing and repair of our world.
The High Holidays offer us a time for deep, honest self-reflection.
- In what ways have we manifested our highest spiritual selves, both in our personal lives and in working to build a society which embodies justice, love, caring for those in need?
- What have we done to protect the life-support system of the planet?
- Did we join with others to challenge systemic oppression, selfishness, and materialism?
The High Holy Days provide a structure for this self-reflection so we can become more fully embodied sparks of divine light and love. Doing so requires that we engage in teshuva (repentance), transformation, and change. We are called to take responsibility for the ways in which we have treated others in less than kind ways, whether in our actions towards other individuals or in the ways in which we engage in our larger society. Where did we miss the mark and what can we do differently going forward?
We have four wonderful guest speakers who will be sharing their wisdom with us this year. To provide insight into the current situation in the United States and how we might participate to help create a more loving and just United States, we’ll hear from Marianne Williamson and Cornel West.
To learn more about what is happening in Palestine and Israel we will hear from two people. Jonathan Kuttab, a Chrisitan Palestinian activist, co-founder of Nonviolence International and Friends of Sabeel of North America, will share what is actually happening on the ground, what teshuva is called for, and actions we can take to join in solidarity with Palestinians. Nitsan Joy Gordon, an Israeli woman, and founder of Together Beyond Words, a joint Israeli and Palestinian project that empowers women to build peace and connections across cultural and religious divides, will share her perspective on the struggle for Israel’s heart and soul and how we can support solidarity efforts in Israel/Palestine.
Our Beyt Tikkun team, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Rabbi Cat Zavis, and Dr. Ami Goodman will offer a spiritually rich experience with traditional and renewed High Holiday music and liturgy (both Hebrew and English), prophetic teachings, and guided visualizations. The Hasidim taught that in difficult times like these we must let our joy fill the air, and insisted that the High Holy Days be filled with music, dance, and love. You’ll find this energy at our services!!!
If you join us for High Holy Days, you will also receive a teshuva workbook that provides concrete exercises for you to engage in during the High Holy Days.
We’d love to have you join us.
Please register now. Yom Kippur will be here before you know it! It begins Friday night September 24th.
2023 HIGH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
We will gather together on Zoom for each service.
LED BY: RABBI MICHAEL LERNER, RABBI CAT ZAVIS, & MUSIC DIRECTOR DR. AMI GOODMAN
EREV YOM KIPPUR (Kol Nidre)
Sunday, September 24th – 6:45 pm (Pacific Daylight Time)
6:45 pm – Kol Nidre services begin
Guest Speaker – Nitsan Joy Gordon
YOM KIPPUR
Monday, September 25th – 9:00 am (Pacific Daylight Time)
(We will begin at 9:00am, other times subject to change)
9:00 am – Shacharit/Morning service & celebration of the universe
10:30 am – Selichot –
confronting where we as individuals, a society, and a global human community have missed the mark
11:30 am – Teachings (including Cornel West), Torah Service, Isaiah Haftarah
2:00 pm – Yizkor
2:30 pm – Seeking forgiveness from the Earth
3:30 – 6:00 pm – Break from Community Services -Teshuvah (repentance) focus
6:00 pm – Mincha: Book of Jonah and guided meditation for transformation
7:00 – 8:00 pm – Ne’ila and breaking the fast
Registration
Email: austin@beyttikkun.org for registration help.
- Renew or Join
If you have not yet paid your membership for 2023-2024/5784, you can join as a member below. Membership fees are at least 1% of your total annual income. That donation would equate to $500 for an individual with a total annual income of $50,000. If donating 1% of your income is beyond your means, then the minimum amount for an annual membership is $500 for an individual and $750 for a couple. Children are free.
The primary benefit of membership is belonging to our dynamic Jewish Renewal community of prayer, ritual, custom, and study. Tangible benefits of membership include:
- Shabbat, High Holiday, and Festival services
- Pastoral counseling and selected life-cycle events
- Educational programs for free or at a discounted rate
- Newsletters and access to the Members-Only website
- Members-only gatherings
- Committee and leadership opportunities
- Social action project participation
If you want to be a member but can’t afford this much, we will work out a way you can afford it. Please call/text Alden at 510-644-1200 or email, Monday-Friday | 9 am – 1 pm Pacific time.
Donations to Beyt Tikkun can be listed as charitable donations on your federal income tax.
Membership 5784 (2023/24)
- Attend High Holidays as a Non-Member
We are delighted to have you join us at High Holiday Services.
Income-based pricing:
We have created a sliding fee scale for our services in the hopes of making them as accessible as possible. The rates listed below are the minimum amount we need to just cover our expenses. We would greatly appreciate it if you would consider donating more than the requested amount and if you are attending with more than one person in your home, please consider donating for two or more people. All donations are tax-deductible.
If you have any questions, please call/text Alden at 510-644-1200 or email, Monday-Friday | 9 am – 1 pm Pacific time.