Romemu Brooklyn High Holy Days 5785
5785 High Holy Days Tickets Are Here!
At Romemu Brooklyn, our spirituality rings true. Every year, on the High Holy Days, we are captivated by the conviction that the story of our lives can be renewed. More than that, they must be renewed if we want the world to thrive, and us to thrive in it.
Our High Holy Days are emotional, joyful, and connecting. We are a growing, dynamic, Neo-Hassidic, sacred community. Our services are vital and alive, and speak to people of all backgrounds and experience. We create the perfect blend of exceptional, talented professional davening leaders and musicians with brilliant, generous, creative members of our community to generate meaningful experiences for all assembled. You’re not just welcome, you’re wanted.
“You never go to Romemu without seeing someone step up in a way you couldn’t imagine.”
– Brooklyn community member
Hazzan Basya Schechter will be leading and guiding our community through our High Holy Days again this year. She will be joined by Kohenet Elana Brody for Erev Rosh HaShanah and Rosh HaShanah Day 1, our very own community member Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein for the Torah service on Rosh HaShanah Day 1, and Rabbi Annie Lewis for all of Yom Kippur (Kol Nidrei and Shacharit through Neilah). We are grateful to have returning musicians, Almog Sharvit on the upright bass, Micha Gilad on the keys, and Shai Wetzer on percussion, along with other special musical guests and many members of our community sharing their voices, music, and words. And we are excited to have Stav Meishar lead our young people in special Kids Rock services and creative engagement.
Romemu Brooklyn High Holy Day services use the fully transliterated Machzor Eit Ratzon. Our services are known for their exquisite music and include a full band and electrified sound. We will pray a thoughtful blend of traditional and innovative liturgy and melodies, as well as the shared teaching and inspiration of community members, along with our clergy.
Our vibe is the best of Brooklyn’s “come as you are” mentality; from jeans to suits, people wear what feels right to them on the holidays, and so should you!
Our Venue
This year we will be holding our High Holy Days services at the Greenwood Baptist Church in the heart of Park Slope. Known for its superb acoustics and multiple soundproofed spaces for kids, our collective voices will uplift all of our spirits and souls as we sing, pray, teach, and learn together. Conveniently located next to many public transportation lines (such as the F/G, B/Q, and 2/3 subways), this monumental venue is easy to access from many Brooklyn and Manhattan neighborhoods. It is also fully accessible.
Our Services
Erev Rosh Hashanah Song Circle (Wednesday, October 2nd, 7:00pm-9:00pm) – Our unconventional take on Erev Rosh Hashanah, led by Hazzan Basya Schechter and Kohenet Elana Brody, will be full of music, blessings, and intentions for the holidays. Join us in tuning up our hearts and voices as we enter into the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days). Please note, this is not a traditional service.
Rosh HaShanah Service (Thursday, October 3rd, 9:00am-1:00pm) – Our musical service led by Hazzan Basya Schechter, Kohenet Elana Brody, and members of the community will bring all the love, creativity, and joy that define Romemu. We will be blessed to have Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein lead our Torah service this morning.
Kol Nidrei Service (Friday, October 11th, 6:00pm-9:00pm) – Our opening service for Yom Kippur events, led by Rabbi Annie Lewis, Hazzan Basya Schechter, and members of the community will set the tone and intention for a cleansing and recentering Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur Service (Saturday, October 12th, 9:00am-1:00pm) – Our main Yom Kippur service, led by Rabbi Annie Lewis, Hazzan Basya Schechter, and members of the community, promises beautiful contemplation and intention setting for the new year.
Yom Kippur Mincha/Neilah (Saturday, October 12th, 5:00pm-7:00pm) – Our closing Yom Kippur service, led by Rabbi Annie Lewis, Hazzan Basya Schechter, and members of the community, is known for its unique uplifting transcendence; rather than crawling towards the end, together we soar!
Afternoon Sessions (Saturday, October 12th, 1:30pm-5:00pm) –Down time involving holiday-edifying activities such as yoga, meditation, and art will be offered for those who wish to stay at the venue between the morning and afternoon/evening Yom Kippur services.
Our Service Leaders
Hazzan Basya Schechter
Hazzan Basya Schechter was ordained January 2016 by ALEPH Cantorial School, and has been the recipient of numerous compositional and project grants from NY State Council of the Arts and the American Music Center. She is also known for her group Pharaoh’s Daughter, a seven-piece neohasidic world music ensemble that travels effortlessly through continents, key signatures, and languages with a genre-bending sound.
Kohenet Elana Brody
Kohenet Elana Brody is a celebrated singer-songwriter, song leader, and Hebrew Priestess rooted in rural Appalachia, with a decade of Jewish life and leadership in New York City. Elana creates expressive prayer spaces and musical experiences that move the soul, with her passion for uplifting the Divine One and Mother Earth.
Rabbi Jill Hammer, founder of the Kohenet Institute, called Elana‘s work “Magnificent, Stunning, Holy.” Susan Rogers, author of This is What it Sounds Like and engineer for Prince, called Elana “My favorite genius. Whatever she does will be ahead of its time.” Elana attended Berklee College of Music, studying vocal performance and songwriting; is an ordained Hebrew priestess and graduate of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute; and is a current student of Aleph Rabbinic Ordination Program. Elana also serves as a visionary prayer leader and founder of a blossoming ritual community for earth-based Judaism in Asheville, NC. Listen to her original music on Spotify, including her beloved-by-Romemu song, B‘Shem Hashem (Angels of Peace), and last year’s High Holy Day anthem Honey.
Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein
Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein is the Executive Director of Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation, which advances rabbinic leadership and supports rabbis of all denominations across the arcs of their careers. Previously, Rabbi Epstein served as Executive Director of the 14th Street Y in Manhattan, and as a member of the faculty of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and as Rabbi-Educator at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Rabbi Epstein publishes, speaks and teaches widely in the Jewish community and has served at various congregations, Jewish youth groups and summer camps. She lives with her family in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Rabbi Annie Lewis
Rabbi Annie Lewis (she/her) is a poet, organizer, singer, creator of original Jewish music and ritual, and teacher of heart-centered Torah. She has led vibrant congregations in Maryland, Mississippi, and Philadelphia, where she marched for justice, studied couples and family therapy, trained rabbinical students at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and delighted in walking in the city. She currently serves as Director of Recruitment and Admissions for Religious and Educational Leadership at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
You can find her exploring her new neighborhood of Crown Heights with her partner, Rabbi Yosef Goldman, and their children, Zohar Lieba and Shir Emet.
Stav Meishar
Stav Meishar is a stage artist and Jewish educator born and raised in Israel. Stav specializes in weaving her artistic skills into her teachings, creating meaningful experiences for children incorporating drama, music, circus, dance, yoga and more. She’s worked at synagogues, schools and private homes all over the Tri-State area, with children of all ages and denominations, for over 15 years. For her unique approach to Jewish education, Stav won the Jewish Education Project’s Young Pioneers Award (2014) and was selected for The Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 (2017).
Our Kids' Experience
Bringing your kids to the services? We are offering a very special program for kids on Rosh HaShanah day and Yom Kippur day, full of holiday fun and immersive activities.
On Rosh HaShanah Day 1 and Yom Kippur morning, we will have 45-minute services for kids ages 3-6 and 7-12, followed by a creative, musical experience for kids of all ages, as well as 45-minute teen-led discussions for those ages 13-18 and childcare for those needing supervision (and who are potty trained).
Here is the general kids experience schedule:
- Erev Rosh HaShanah – No childcare or kids’ services. Children are welcome to join this event, of course.
- Rosh HaShanah Day – Childcare and kids services for children ages 3-6 and 7-12. Teen-led discussion for those ages 13-18.
- Kol Nidrei – Childcare will be offered for kids ages 3-12.
- Yom Kippur Morning – Childcare and kids services for children ages 3-6 and 7-12. Teen-led discussion for those ages 13-18.
- Yom Kippur Mincha/Neilah – No childcare or kids’ services. Children are welcome to join the service.
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Want to enjoy big discounts (up to 50%) on our High Holy Days tickets? Become a Romemu Brooklyn member today, and enjoy heavy discounts on High Holy Days tickets and so much more!
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