We are so excited to have you with us for High Holidays this year, and to enter this season of reflection and renewal together. Together, we can remain steadfast in the face of repression, despair, and the strain and fatigue that can come from being a “voice in the wilderness”. Before you sign up, you might find our Safety and Care page helpful.
Just like last year, registration will close early. This gives our team time to sort out logistics and is key in giving you a great High Holiday experience.
Please register before:
September 2nd for Leil Selichot
September 15th for Tachlich, Kol Nidre, and all Yom Kippur Day services
For any of this to happen, we need volunteers! Once you register, please be on the lookout for the volunteer form, and choose a role that works for you It helps us thrive, AND it’s a great way to connect to the awesome folks in our community – whether this is your first Makom event or you’ve been around since day one
(If you’re shy like me, it’s one of the best ways to make new friends! – Moss)
Netzach/We Are Steadfast.
This year, we gather for the High Holidays in the spirit of Netzach/We Are Steadfast. Netzach means endurance, victory, steadfastness, or even eternity, depending on context. The High Holidays are a time of communal reflection and renewal. As a community, we will call in netzach/steadfastness as we gather together to pray, sing, and face ourselves and our world with honesty.
What is Netzach?
In the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, Netzach is one of the ten Sefirot – building blocks of creation and aspects of the divine. Netzach is the counterpart of the sefirah of Hod, or awe, and many traditional voices consider the two to be complementary forces.
This time asks us to remain steadfast in the face of the world’s horrors, not turning away; and at the same time, to remember the deep awe and delight that is found in the beauty and grandeur of the universe.
The High Holidays are also called the Days of Awe, or Yamim Noraim. Our Makom community, and its neighbors, friends, and loved ones, come together, bringing steadfast commitment to one another. When we join to observe the High Holidays, this sacred time of year gifts us awe, wonder, and a deep stirring of our emotions. This is what allows our community to endure – calling on our strength (and sometimes pure stubbornness) to handle what life and politics throw at us.
Let us share the Days of Awe so that we might regain the steadfastness we need to meet this political moment, to face our individual and collective struggles and challenges, to be renewed in sacred community, and to continue co-creating this sacred place together.
Rosh Hashanah streaming options:
We are partnering with our friends at Kol Tzedek in Philadelphia and Tzedek Chicago to provide streaming options for Rosh Hashanah services this year. To sign up for services with Kol Tzedek, register here. We have a limited number of seats reserved at Tzedek Chicago, so if you would prefer to sign up for their services, please email Claire at claire.castleman@proton.me to see how many seats we have available and receive a registration link. If you register for services at Kol Tzedek or Tzedek Chicago, please contribute an amount that feels generous and accessible to you to their congregations.
Below is our list and description of events, and Here is the link to sign up!
Saturday, September 5th
Leil Selichot Song Circle
9:30 pm – 11:00 pm
(Registration closes September 2nd)
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.
This event will happen after sundown outdoors at a community member’s home in central Durham. There is ample street parking available; from the street, you will have to navigate a long, downward-sloping gravel driveway to access the backyard. There are limited accessible parking spots available on the gravel drive directly next to the backyard. The service will be 90 minutes long. We will have a few kinds of seating (picnic tables, camping chair, metal outdoor chair, folding chair) available, but possibly not enough for everyone, so bring a chair if you’re able to. Bathroom access is up a flight of stairs. Participants will be following our COVID-19 agreement: https://www.makomtriangle.org/safety-and-care
Sunday, September 20th
Tashlich
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
(Registration closes September 15th)
Join us for a ritual of release and reflection partnered with the wisdom of the Eno.
Our Tashlich gathering will be outdoors by the Eno River. At this time we are waiting to determine the exact location and will share an update on accessibility information soon. Participants will be following our COVID-19 agreement: https://www.makomtriangle.org/safety-and-care.
Sunday, September 20th
Kol Nidre (Erev Yom Kippur)
6:30 pm – 8:15 pm
(registration closes September 15th)
We enter Yom Kippur with song and tefilah/prayer. We gather at sunset to welcome a day of return, renewal, and accountability.
This event will take place indoors at an ADA-accessible location in central Durham. There will be designated accessible parking spaces by the entrance, as well as one designated pickup/dropoff spot near the front door for those who need a short distance to their seat. For those who do not require accessible parking, there will be about 50 spaces available onsite and street parking. The location is ¼ mile from a bus stop.
The campus has beautiful lush gardens for participants to explore, but no paved pathways through grassy terrain. There is also a small covered outdoor porch area with a few seats.
Events will be held indoors. We plan to acquire a commercial air filter. Participants will be following our COVID-19 agreement: https://www.makomtriangle.org/safety-and-care. Bathrooms are ADA-accessible. Services will be mic’d, and there will be seats near the front for those who have trouble hearing. We do not have an ASL interpreter this year. There will be a decompression space available indoors with emergency snacks/water, and dedicated spaces for children. Find more details about bringing kids to services in our FAQ.
Monday, September 21st: Yom Kippur Day
Registration closes September 15th
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 – 2:00 pm
Childcare will be provided during morning services, outdoors, a short walk from services.
Yizkor: A Potluck of Sorrows
5:00 – 6:00 pm
This is a community grief circle, a space to honor, share, and witness both personal grief and loss, and the devastation the world has held this past year.
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
8:00 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 everyone.
These events will take place indoors at an ADA-accessible location in central Durham. There will be designated accessible parking spaces by the entrance, as well as one designated pickup/dropoff spot near the front door for those who need a short distance to their seat. For those who do not require accessible parking, there will be about 50 spaces available onsite and street parking. The location is ¼ mile from a bus stop.
The campus has beautiful lush gardens for participants to explore, but no paved pathways through grassy terrain. There is also a small covered outdoor porch area with a few seats.
Events will be held indoors. We plan to acquire a commercial air filter. Participants will be following our COVID-19 agreement: https://www.makomtriangle.org/safety-and-care. Bathrooms are ADA-accessible. Services will be mic’d, and there will be seats near the front for those who have trouble hearing. We do not have an ASL interpreter this year. There will be a decompression space available indoors with emergency snacks/water, and dedicated spaces for children. Find more details about bringing kids to services in our FAQ.
Meals will be held outdoors. There are limited covered seating options outdoors, including several picnic tables in the gardens, and a few seats on the covered porch attached to the main building. There are additional uncovered picnic tables in the gardens. In the event of heavy rain, meals will be grab-n-go.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register?
Where do I sign up for my volunteer spot?
The link to sign up for your volunteer spot will be up soon!
Makom is rooted in an ethic of hiyuv, our obligation to each other as part of being in sacred community together. We expect everyone who 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.
(A bonus is being able to make more friends easily! – Moss)
Are the services going to be streamed?
We will be streaming our services for 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 the service will not have captioning.
For Rosh Hashanah services, we are partnering with our friends at Kol Tzedek in Philadelphia and Tzedek Chicago to provide streaming options for Rosh Hashanah services this year. To sign up for services with Kol Tzedek, register here. We have a limited number of seats reserved at Tzedek Chicago, so if you would prefer to sign up for their services, please email Claire at claire.castleman@proton.me to see how many seats we have available and receive a registration link. If you register for services at Kol Tzedek or Tzedek Chicago, please contribute an amount that feels generous and accessible to you to their congregations.
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 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 Yom Kippur programming. We ask that children always be accompanied by a caregiver when exploring the outdoor area.
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 Yom Kippur, we will be offering childcare for morning services (only), from 10 am-2 pm. 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 a higher weight rating 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 or cushion if you have one that you need or are most comfortable using.
- Sound: We will have microphones to amplify sound on Kol Nidre 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 Claire in advance of services at claire.castleman@proton.me.
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 can 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 and Tashlich will be outdoors this year. The Leil Selichot Song Circle, Kol Nidre (Erev Yom Kippur), and Yom Kippur gatherings are rain or shine. Please stay tuned for rain plans for Tashlich.
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. 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 steadfast commitment. 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 the service 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 is 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.
If you have any follow-up questions, please reach out to us at info@makomtriangle.com