Wonderings 1 High Holy Day Memories

I love the music and the words that we read together. I love that the words are those that have been spoken for generations and will be spoken for generations long after I'm gone. I love Judaism. [A]

I like going to services and sitting and reflecting about the year that has passed and wondering what the new year will bring. Somehow I can relate better with G-d during iservices than I can just sitting at home. Maybe its a guilt think about not paying attention! Of course, I like to hear what you have to say during your many sermons and pronouncements. I am sorry we won’t be at services, but we have to stay safe to be able to see our grandchildren. [D]

Great question about my fondest memory, without question it would be going to Holy Day services with my Great Grandmother. She loved temple, being with her was special. She would constantly pat my leg, I’d ask her if she was “drilling for oil.”

Gosh that was 60 years ago give or take a few either way. She passed away in 1967, I was 19. [B]

My favorite thing about the High HolyDays is the renewal. I love Elul and preparing, and I really love Yom Kippur and the services. Pretty sure I’m the only person who thinks that:) haha. But it’s my favorite. I love the prayer with the beating of the chest. [M]

- You’ve got to be careful when you ask old people their favorite memories because they have so many!!!
-I can remember so far back that I had a babysitter while the family went to services. And then they would come back to my grandparents house and have cocktails and dinner. My favorite part was watching my grandmother imitate Rabbi David Lefkowitz, and she was good! Pretty sacrilegious of me but HEY!  It was funny!
-Now I like getting together with my Aunt and just being together for the holiday and attending a service or watching on the computer. And when the kids are in town, we all meet at my Aunt’s for drinks and snacks to break the fast.
-And then there was a year after my husband died and I just couldn’t sit still and didn’t want to. So the guilt monster allowed me to go to the children service, and I loved that service so much. It was sweet and short and innocent and I loved it!!! The kids were so cute and enjoyed the service as opposed to when we were young we had to go sit through an excruciating morning called the children service.  I don’t sit very well and certainly don’t pay attention or read instructions, so I just love to go and see my family I have left - and it’s not much
-And it was probably mom‘s last service and we always sat on the next to last row so we were out the door before you got back to the back to wish everyone a happy holiday. By this time we were in the car and mother kept saying, “Come on! Come on! Let’s GO!” And I said, “Mom, wait a minute!!! There are people walking in back of us!”  She said, “Go on!  They’ll move!!” Ahhhh sweet memories!!!
- and course I love the days that my buddies went and we all got to sit together. That was so much fun but they’re all gone now. [J]

My favorite thing is the whole thing! It is the music, the prayers , the people and my "interself" working thru the entire process. [F]

My favorite is the Yom Kippur memorial service [C]

Thanks for asking. Of course I love the sermons...I love to hear the shofar service. When the person sneaks in with the shofar hidden... has thrilled me and made me smile for more than 75 years!  The solemnity of Kol Nidre is magic! [S]

I think its the memories of family that the Holidays bring......My grandparents had a gorgeous dining room....i loved sitting there watching everyone eat matzo ball soup my grandmother had made....and when it was time to go to temple my grandmother always had a headache!!!  Fast forward....i love making that same soup and wishing we all lived in the same city and loving when my daughter says she live streamed our beautiful service from Bnai Zion! [S]

Special meal with family, apples n honey, round challah bread [M]

My favorite part of the high holidays was when I honored my mother by having an honor during Yom Kippur. [P]

Spending time with family and friends. Stores would take out a full page ad to remind people all these stores would be closed on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Same fo Yom Kippur. This was a tradition which I'm sorry went by the wayside over the years. People who were not Jewish were reminded of our holiday. People knew. [J]

The solemn reflection on the past year and the passages of spoken commitment. [F]

Rosh Hashanah has always been my favorite part of the High Holy Days. On the eve, we have a large meal with family and we try to include some of our non-Jewish friends. We have a short service at home and of course with apples and honey from [local] bees. We try to explain to our friends a little bit about our ritual and customs. On the next day after services we have another large meal with family and friends. Who could argue that breaking fast is a fitting end to the High Holy Days. [B]

Kol Nidre prayer; The music in general; The sense of getting a re-start [H]

This time of the year is very special as it brings back memories of those in the past.  The  Yizkor service and blowing of the shofar are the favorites for me.  Yizkor brings back all the memories that I have of my family and the good times we had.  The shofar lets me know there is still hope in this world for all. [B]

The prayer read in the movie "Independence Day." At least the theater version.... [B]

The Memorial Service has the most meaning for me and I love the High Holy Days music!!! [B]

My favorite parts of the service is ---  all of the singing by the choir and the cantor. It's beautiful even if it will be online [D]

I like the services. Whether one attends the services or not, just the existence of the Holy Days makes one take note of who, and more importantly, why we are. [B]

1 Sense of community; 2 Shofar; 3 Reminder of my Judaism; and the importance of this period [L]

Shofar blowing [S]

My favorite part is your sermon and the choir & music. [D]

My favorite parts of the High Holly days it only time we see most of Jewish people of Shreveport at one time. I enjoy hearing the Choir singing in person fill up the sounds of the Sanctuary or Hall. The sounding of the Shofar is most more meaningful when here is in person. Then we specially enjoy the breaking of fast with Jewish items that we don’t normally have doing most of year. [M]

This is a hard question to answer because there are so many parts of the high holiday services that I love. A tie for number one would be the fabulous choir music and seeing your happy smiling face and your enthusiasm for life. This year because of all that is going on in the world I think I am looking forward to a sermon that will bring inspiration and hope for better times. [D]

The High Holy Days to me give me a period of time to think about the great country we live in and our freedom to express our different thoughts without fear and to think about our family. I am very proud of all my children and grandkids and their accomplishments and their belief in Tzedaka. I love the services because of the wonderful music and the opportunity to see a large group of attendees who I might not have seen since the last High Holidays. We should always think that Life is good dwell on the good and be thankful for all we have. [S]

I've actually been thinking about the question....albeit in a more intrinsic manner i.e., what is it to be Jewish. My favorite is the passage where we, as Jews, do NOT pick up the 'wheat ( whatever), that falls from our wagon....AND, our scales are honest. I know that's minutia, a tiny part, a sentence but hearing it is reassuring. [J]

The High Holy Days have very sweet memories for me.  Since my parents didn’t ride on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we spent the holidays at my aunt’s house where our synagogue was located. There were usually twenty-five or thirty people there for meals

I usually had to sleep with a great-aunt and bathed in a claw-footed bathtub. I always had new shoes that killed my feet on the walk to and from synagogue. At synagogue I sat with my mother on the women’s side of the bimah, but sometimes as a young child I would go and sit with my daddy. I would also see my friend after synagogue before we walked back to my aunt’s house. On Rosh Hashanah in the afternoons ( when there was a break in services) my parents allowed my brother and me to go to the movies as we were allowed to handle money. However, on Yom Kippur we weren’t allowed to touch money or go to the movies. It took me years as an adult to figure out what rules were from the Torah and which ones were my mother’s. Most of the congregation there was like family. They had known my parents for many years, and they had known me since my birth so Shabbat and holidays at the synagogue were like family gatherings. [S]

My favorite part of the high holy days is being is the synagogue and seeing everyone there. I did not experience the holidays as a child or with family, but seeing my children participate and learn is very special to me. [A]

I love getting together with everybody and seeing an influx of people at temple. It always makes me feel good to see so many Jewish people. I do like hearing the shofar blasts because it gives me chills. [J]

I love the apples and the honey of course how can you not?! and even more than that I love you blowing the shofar. Oh, did I mention your voice...yeah. I think that's my favorite thing...hearing your voice. [M]

One of my favorite parts is seeing people I don't get to see on a regular basis. [J]

As a kid what I remember is always being rushed out the door because daddy was always having a fit about not wanting to be late to services. (He still does that now too) As I got older what I enjoyed (and still enjoy) is the choir. I am also very happy to hear the cello. I missed hearing it. [A]

I love the beautiful music and our choir. I also love the old prayers I am familiar with. Having you officiate makes me happy. I’m not much on listening to someone stumbling over prayers they haven’t practiced. [N]

 I enjoy the symbolism of the apples and honey and this also reminds me of teaching the children, nice memories. Blowing of the shofar is important, but for me that could be virtual too. Service of atonement is important to me too. [K]

One of my favorite memories from being a little girl growing up in the north was what we called "Temple hopping" and we would go around to the different Temples in our area to visit grandparents , aunts ,and uncles. It was always a wonderful time wishing them a happy healthy New Year year. I was so proud going to visit My Bubbie and Zayda! My second favorite memory was my early years in Shreveport. Wonderful Jewish people "adopted" my family with all three little kids and we join them for holiday meals every year. It was nice to be part of a family. [M]

Hey Jana!

I wanted to tell you one of my favorite things about high holiday services are the special prayers and music!! The Avinu Malkeinu always moves me. [A]