I encourage you to bring your children with you to Kol Nidre services. I have long believed that children of all ages can benefit from Kol Nidre. The service is relatively short, and the themes of the day are readily accessible to children. (What child hasn't been taught the importance of apologizing?)

This year, right after the chanting of Kol Nidre, we are offering a special program for teens and students in grades 4-6. Rabbinical student Scott Roland will lead the teen program and Melanie Jolson will lead the program for the younger students. (We also provide babysitting, by reservation, for Kol Nidre.)

Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, on Yom Kippur, our sanctuary service begins at 8:30 am. All are welcome, including children. We usually get to the Torah service by 10:00 am. At 10:30 am, youth services begin (and continue until around 12:00 pm). At that time, you are more than welcome to bring your children into the sanctuary.

In the sanctuary, our annual Israel appeal takes place after the reading of the haftarah (i.e., at around 10:45 am), and my sermon follows shortly thereafter. We then recite Yizkor. Let me note that, although some whose parents are alive follow the minhag (custom) of leaving the sanctuary during Yizkor, others remain, and all should feel welcome to do so.

Following Yizkor, we will daven the Musaf (additional) service. This year, both the Avodah service (that re-enacts the Yom Kippur Temple ritual) and the Martyrology service (Eleh Ezk'rah) will be recited following Musaf. We should complete our worship by 2:00 pm or so.

This year our Temple Tots Family Service begins at 4:00 pm.   Our sanctuary service resumes at 5:00 pm with Minchah, which will feature the participation of many of our teens. Please join us for an interactive exploration of the Book of Jonah.

Neilah begins at 6:00 pm. As at most synagogues, it is our practice to leave the ark open during Neilah. Those who can are invited to stand throughout the entire Neilah service. If, for any reason, you cannot, you should not feel obliged to do so. Neilah should end by 7:00 pm, and then we will daven Ma'ariv and recite Havdalah, before blowing the shofar sometime around 7:15 pm. Younger children will be given glow sticks and invited to join a procession into the sanctuary for Havdalah and the blowing of the shofar. All shofar blowers are welcome to bring their shofarot and participate in our communal tekiah g'dolah that marks the conclusion of our worship together.

I hope that this review is helpful to you and will encourage you to participate in as much of our worship and reflection as possible. As I hope you found out on Rosh Hashanah, our new mahzorim are fullof thoughtful reflections and poetry.

Let me wish all of you a shanah tovah u'm'tukah! May all of us be blessed with a healthy, fulfilling 5773.

Gmar Hatimah Tovah,  

Rabbi Carl M. Perkins

P.S. Would you like some advice on teaching your child how to say, "I'm sorry"?  If so, take a look at this article.