We’re excited to invite you to join us for high holidays. There is much to process as we head into the new year and doing so with each other makes all the difference. The future is uncertain and there has been so much pain and loss. It is tough to not feel alone in this, but we are not. We are here to grieve, build, grow, challenge, change, defend, and care together. Let’s enter the new year knowing that we face it as a community.
Please register here!
After you fill out our registration form, please fill out our volunteer form. Our congregation is rooted in an ethic of hiyuv, loosely translating to “obligation.” So while we are framing our volunteer needs as exactly that–volunteer needs–we also ask you to remember that only through obligation does our Makom function. We have literally over 100 roles that we need filled, so please, find the role (or roles, plural!) that is right for you and sign up!
Leil Selichot Song Circle
Saturday, September 13 (registration closes September 8th)
9:30-11:00 pm
We prepare for the new year by gathering to sing through the songs of selichot (prayers for forgiveness), late on Saturday night leading up to Rosh Hashanah (following Ashkenazi tradition). This will be a songful service to begin this season of reckoning with our lives, the world, and the year that has passed.
Rosh Hashanah Morning
Tuesday, September 23:(registration closes September 16th)
Rosh Hashanah Morning Services
9:30 am-12:30 pm
We welcome the new year, celebrate the birthday of the world, and hold each other in community as we face the uncertainty, pain, loss, and joys of the world together. Our songful and participatory services include mixtures of traditional liturgy, songs in Hebrew and English, communal and personal reflection, and more–including a “prayground,” a dedicated family-friendly space for young children and their caregivers to enjoy the service.
Kidz Program
11:00 am-12:00 pm
We invite kids of all ages and their caregivers to sneak away from services to hang out and explore Rosh Hashanah with a facilitated storytime, art activity, and space to hang out and play. This program will be set up outdoors, a short walk from services. Light snacks provided. We ask that all children be accompanied by a parent or caregiver – there will be space for the grown-ups to hang out too.
Lunch Potluck
12:30pm
We will have a community potluck lunch to share together on Rosh Hashannah. Please bring a dish to share, dishes must be sesame and peanut free.
Days of Awe Mikveh
Sunday, September 28 (registration closes September 23rd)
9:30 – 10:30 am
weather-permitting!
We immerse ourselves nude in living river waters in an embodied ritual of community and affirmation. Afterwards, we gather to grieve the past years of genocide along with our communal and personal losses. Please note that this event is open to community members 18+ who can safely tread water.
Tashlich
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
We will partner with the River for a ritual of reflection and release. If you would like, bring a journal and pen, flowers, and a poem to share that resonates. Please do not bring bread–we will provide bird seed for the health of the wildlife.
Kol Nidre (Erev Yom Kippur)
Wednesday, October 1 (registration closes September 24th)
6:30 pm-8:15pm
We enter Yom Kippur with song and tefilah/prayer. We gather at sunset to welcome a day of return, renewal, and accountability.
Yom Kippur
Thursday, October, 2 (registration closes September 25th)
Morning Services
10:00 am-2:00 pm
We gather to sing, pray, reflect, grieve, grow, and be together on this sacred day of awe and communal reckoning. The morning will include traditional liturgy, songs in Hebrew and English, communal and personal reflection, a creative ritual of surrender, and reading from our sefer Torah.
Childcare during Morning Services
10:00-2:00pm
Childcare will be provided during morning services, outdoors, a short walk from services.
Yizkor: Grief Space
3:30-4:30 pm
We honor, share, and witness both personal grief and loss, and the devastation of this past year – the losses to climate change, the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and the violence of fascism, white supremacy, transphobia, and ableism. We are here together in these depths.
Workshops
5:00-6:00 pm
Community members offer workshops, discussions, spaces for rest, and more – on a variety of topics. Consider signing up to lead one! Torah study, art project, meditation—what do you have to share?
Trans* Neilah
6:30-7:45 pm
As the sun sets, we bring Yom Kippur to a close in community, making space for the last of our hearts’ calling-outs. This service is for everyone and will be led by trans* and non-binary community members.
Break-fast
8 pm
Community break-fast with catered bagels, schmear and toppings. We will have vegan and gluten free options available. Gather to celebrate the end of your fast day with our community.
Sukkot on the Farm: Sukkah Build!
Sunday, October 5 (Registration closes Sept 30th)
1:00-3:00 pm
Join us for a family friendly afternoon celebrating Sukkot in Cedar Grove at our local Jewish veggie farm! This year we will gather right before the start of Sukkot to build and decorate the farm sukkah, make our own lulavs, and play together. All ages are welcome. Light snacks and kid-centered activities provided.
Sukkah Registry –
Monday, October 6 – Tuesday, October 14
Do you have a sukkah that you are willing and able to open up to the community? Please sign up for our Sukkah Registry! We will be putting together a map with “open sukkah hours” or hosted events that Makom community members can attend throughout the holiday. If you are considering it, but aren’t sure yet, please check YES to be a part of meetings to discuss safety, options, possibilities, and protocols.
Simchat Torah Celebration
Wednesday, October 15 (Registration closes Oct 10th)
6:00-7:15 pm
We close the holiday season by celebrating our torah – the wisdom and teachings that each of us bring to the world, and also our Torah Scroll and the stories it contains. We will sing and dance with the Torah, and there will be a special ritual where we unroll the scroll together. All are welcome – whether you are excited to dance with the Torah, are Torah-skeptical, or curious! This event is followed by the Makom Newbie Welcome Party
Makom Newbie Welcome Party
7:15-8:30pm
New to Makom? Old to Makom and want to meet new folks? Curious to learn more about Makom? New, existing, and prospective members are invited to this kickback to enjoy a potluck meal, games, friendly faces, and opportunities to learn more about Makom. We’ll set the stage for bringing the best of Makom’s community, ideas, and joy from the High Holidays into the rest of the year! Takes place immediately after the Simchat Torah Celebration, join us for either or both parts!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register?
The registration link is here.
Where do I sign up for my volunteer spot?
The link to sign up for your volunteer spot will be here starting 8/28/25.
Makom is rooted in an ethic of hiyuv, our obligation to each other as part of being in sacred community together. We expect everyone that attends high holidays to commit to contributing to our community in ways that are accessible and empowering to you, whether that be through volunteering, ritual roles, financial contributions, or (hopefully!) all of the above!
If you are worried about the accessibility of any volunteer role, please reach out to info[at]makomtriangle[dot]org.
Are the services going to be streamed?
We will be streaming our services for Rosh Hashanah morning, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur morning, and Neilah for those who wish to join us from home. A link will be provided to all who register. Online participants can expect to be able to hear and see what is happening during services, and view our Machzor (prayerbook) online. English auto-captions will also be available; Hebrew portions of service will not have captioning.
I want to bring my kids to services. What can I expect?
We are an intergenerational community, and children are welcome!
This year our venue for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur has an indoor space for services surrounded by abundant fenced-in outdoor space. The outdoor space will be open for children and caregivers to take breaks and play throughout Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur programming. We ask that children always be accompanied by a caregiver when exploring the outdoor area.
All Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services will have a “prayground” set up in the indoor services space, a dedicated family-friendly space for kids/toddlers/babies and their caregivers to enjoy the service — this looks like a small area in the services space with blankets to sit on, a kid-sized drawing table, and some toys and books for young kids.
On Rosh Hashanah morning from 11am-12pm, kids of all ages and their caregivers are invited to sneak away from services to hang out and explore Rosh Hashanah with a participatory Kids program, which will be held on-site and outdoors, a short walk from services.
On Yom Kippur, we will be offering childcare for morning services (only), from 10am-2pm.. Childcare will be held on-site and outdoors, a short walk from services. Please note on your registration if you are requesting childcare.
Where will events be held?
Many of our events in the High Holy Season will be hosted indoors at a location in central Durham. Please register to receive an email with addresses and access information for all services and events.
Safety and Accessibility
- Masks: Most of our gatherings will be held indoors this year. Masking is required during all indoor activities. Masking is also required for outdoor services and workshops, and other situations where social distancing is impossible. We trust parents and caregivers to help their children mask as best they can. (More details on COVID safety practices below)
- Scents: To make our space accessible for people who are harmed by fragrances, please refrain from wearing strong scents like perfume and other fragranced body/laundry products. Read up on being fragrance-free at this link.
- Seating: Most chairs are plastic folding chairs with no arms. We also have a limited number of sturdy folding chairs with cushions and no arms for those who need a sturdier or more comfortable seat, as well as a few lawn chairs with cushions and arms. You are welcome to bring your own chair if you have one that you need or are most comfortable using.
- Sound: We will have microphones to amplify sound on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We will also have a seating area near the leaders/speakers reserved for attendees who are hard of hearing. There is no ASL interpreter this year. We will have closed captioning provided for virtual registrants.
- Fasting: You are welcome at High Holidays regardless of whether you choose to fast. In order to accommodate both those who are and are not fasting on Yom Kippur, we will have a separate area where folks can eat. We will also have limited food on hand in case of an emergency.
- Food: Our food team is working hard to ensure that any events with food will be safe for our community members with allergies. Potlucks will be all vegetarian plus kosher fish. Please do not bring any food with sesame or peanut ingredients to events due to severe allergies; and be mindful that we also have community members who are allergic to gluten, dairy, fish, and tree nuts. Please bring a label for your food! If you or someone attending with you have any food allergies, please include this in your registration. (If you included this info in your membership form, we probably already know, but it would be a good idea to repeat it anyway!)
- If you have any particular accessibility needs or follow-up questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us in advance of services at info@makomtriangle.org.
What are the Covid safety practices?
Please review our COVID-19 agreement here: https://www.makomtriangle.org/safety-and-care/ .
We are asking that individuals attending any Makom High Holiday event wear masks–either a KN95, N95, or equivalent–while we are within proximity to one another, whether inside or outside. We trust parents and caregivers to help their children mask as best they can. We will have some masks on hand, but please bring your own if you are able. If you are not able to mask or need a break from masking, please be mindful of space and make sure you are able to spread out–there will be room for this. If you are feeling symptoms that are atypical for you and/or which seem like possible Covid symptoms, we ask that you stay home and attend services virtually (the link can be found in the email with all service/event details following your registration).
What if it rains?
The Leil Selichot Song Circle, Tashlich, Mikveh, and Sukkot events are outdoors this year. The Leil Selichot Song Circle, Rosh Hashanah services, and all Yom Kippur gatherings are rain or shine. Please stay tuned for rain plans for Tashlich and Mikveh.
What should I wear?
At all Makom events, you are encouraged to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and good in an outdoor, community, sacred space. This is a queer space, so we honor our many forms of expression; while knowing that for some of us, choosing what to wear to a community event is a delight, and for others it is stressful. Many people wear white on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to honor the sacredness of these days, and you are welcome – and certainly not required – to honor this tradition. If you have a tallit (prayer shawl), you are welcome to bring it; we will also have some available to borrow during services. Please do wear a mask.
What will services be like?
Services will be songful and participatory, blending traditional liturgy in Hebrew, songs and poems in English and Hebrew, opportunities for embodied practice, and communal creative ritual. Some sections of the service will be more traditional, and others will be more creative. Services will be multivocal and led collaboratively by our community singing team, Rabbi Noah, with many members acting as shlichei tzibur (prayer leaders) and ritual/practice leaders. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning services will feature short Divrei Torah (talks, literally “words of Torah”) from Makom community members, reflecting on this year of genocide and resistance, and our theme of With Grief and With Awe. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning will include a short Torah service (reading from the Torah with opportunity for healing blessings). There will be a “prayground,” a dedicated family-friendly space for young children and their caregivers to enjoy the service.
What does Songful mean?
Communal singing is a powerful spiritual practice, and we are excited to be building communal singing culture together. Much of services will be sung: we will sing liturgy set to music, songs with a long history, and contemporary songs that touch on themes of grief, awe, release, renewal, and return. Singing will be guided by our singing team, and we want everyone to sing with us – that means you! You can listen to our High Holiday playlist to get ready to sing together.
What does Participatory mean?
Prayer is a communal practice, and you are invited to participate in it just as you are. You are invited to bring your voice to these songs and prayers, everyone welcome. You can always sit quietly in reflection, pray/daven to yourself, move around, or participate however you are called to in the moment. There will be a few points in the service where the community is invited to speak and share something with a partner or with the whole group. This is an invitation that is always optional, and you can opt-in or opt-out based on your comfort level.
Will I be naked in front of people at the mikvah?
No, modesty is a value for mikvah. The plan is to wear bathing suits into the water and then, once we are submerged from the neck down, remove our bathing suits and put them on a raft. We will say blessings and dunk together. As people are ready they can get their bathing suits back and put them on, still under water.