Home and Synagogue during the High Holidays

“Home and Synagogue during the High Holidays” by Rachel Adlerstone explores the distinct roles of home and synagogue settings during the High Holidays. It details how Rosh Hashanah rituals unfold through candlelight, communal meals, shofar blasts, and prayer, while Yom Kippur centers on preparation, synagogue attendance, fasting, rest, remembrance, and spiritual renewal. This guide clarifies the appropriate settings for various observances without dictating a single pattern for every household or congregation. It considers how physical spaces—rooms, travel routes, tables, sanctuaries, and quiet areas—influence participation throughout this sacred period.

The book’s chapters cover preparations, attire, meals, prayer books, children’s involvement, hosting guests, transportation, and accessibility, including the time between services. It addresses scenarios such as families hosting symbolic meals while hearing the shofar communally, or individuals creating a meaningful home observance when synagogue attendance is not possible. The text handles health considerations and meals for non-fasters with sensitivity. It incorporates first-person accounts from individuals living alone, sharing custody, participating in campus services, working essential jobs, or relying on streamed access. Checklists offer discussion points for local leaders rather than providing definitive rulings.