Yom Kippur at Gesher
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11th
4:30 PM: A Pre-Yom Kippur Spiritual Meal Before the Fast (festive pot-luck vegetarian pre-fast meal)
5:30 PM Kol Nidrei Services
Especially for Jews who are Newish to Jewish
Rabbi Gary and Rabbi Laurie invite you to join in community, outdoors, to observe Yom Kippur.
SERVICES IN THE TENT. SET IN THE FOREST, BEGIN WITH THE SETTING SUN
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH
10 am Morning Services: A SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION OF YOM KIPPUR
JOIN GESHER'S RABBIS FOR PRAYER, MELODY
QUESTIONING AND PERSONAL SHARING ABOUT THE WORK OF OUR DAY OF AWE
Interwoven with the Yom Kippur Prayer Book and The Day's Torah Readings
Beginning at 10 am. We will meet in a heated tent in the quiet of the forest at Gesher. We will weave prayer, melody, study and discussion. Focused gathering from 10 -2 and from 4 -7. (You are welcome to stay at Gesher's grounds, and walk in the park during the break.) Dress comfortably, for the weather, and in white, if you would like to follow the holiday's custom. Questions - call Rabbi Gary at 503 452-9238.
Break-The-Fast at Darkness (About 7 pm)
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Intimate and Inspiring Rosh Hashanah at Gesher: How do we live in a world we cannot control?
This year has been a hard year for Jews. Especially Jews without deep memory and connection. The Hamas pogrom on Israel on October 7th still reverberates. So many Israelis attacked and murdered. So many Palestinians dead in Israel’s battle to defend itself and to recover the hostages. A resurgence of antisemitism everywhere. In one sense, Israel outs us as Jews. In another it is a land of connection, promise and meaning for our people. In our age, we cannot help but realize that so much of our world is out of our control. This leads to angst, a sense of powerlessness and a spiritual quandary. So, what do we do?
Enter High Holy Days. High Holy Days are, in Hebrew, called the Days of fear/awe. There is no preparation really. Even those of us who hear the clarion call for the whole month of Elul that precedes Rosh Hashanah feel overwhelmed by the demand to face the spiritual opportunity presented by the intense Jewish season that begins on Rosh Hashanah. This year is no different. Especially for unaffiliated Jews, who may be more used to being Jewish in hiding (or more precisely, being hidden from Jewish offerings of spiritual opportunity) than celebrating. So, Gesher - A Bridge Home approaches this High Holy Day season with some careful attempt to provide an alternative to walking into services and feeling overwhelmed and estranged.
What Gesher offers is this – two intimate Rosh Hashanah experiences. Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg and Rabbi Gary Schoenberg extend an invitation to wine and dine, to explore traditional prayers at a pace that will allow for conversation of the heart, and the opportunity to be still with your soul in the forest.
WEDNESday, October 2, 5:30 PM - Rosh Hashanah EVENING Feast and prayer
Where: Gesher, 10701 SW 25th Avenue in Portland
Gesher invites you to join Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg and Rabbi Gary Schoenberg at their home for an intimate heart-centered and delicious Rosh Hashanah dinner to enter into the Jewish New Year.
The Rosh Hashanah dinner with candlelighting, song, prayer and the sharing of our blessings and our spiritual opportunities, will be Covid Safe, and will take place under the trees and stars, weather permitting. Prayer services will follow.
RSVP is a must. Let us know if you would like to bring a vegetarian holiday dish to share. Donations are greatly appreciated.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 10 AM - ROSH HASHANAH MORNING SERVICE, LUNCH, AND TASHLICH
Where: Gesher, 10701 SW 25th Avenue in Portland | Marshall Park
Gesher invites you to join Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg and Rabbi Gary Schoenberg at their home for an outdoor, welcoming Jewish prayer experience that offers opportunities for sharing where we are in our soul-life as we enter the Jewish New Year with prayer, song, and Torah.
A festive vegetarian lunch at about 12:45 and a walk to Marshall Park at about 1:15 for Tashlich follow the service.
RSVP for Thursday morning is very helpful to us.
Please let us know if you would like to bring a vegetarian holiday dish to share.
Donations are greatly appreciated, but not required.
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A Special Event: Celebrate the Season: Help Harvest Pinot Noir Grapes
What: Help Gesher Pick Grapes and Make Sober Rabbi Grape Juice and Shikker Rebbe Wine
Where: Z Farms, The vineyard of Mike and Betty Zolnikov, 30248 S. Barlow Rd, in Hubbard, about a 45 minute drive south of Gesher.
We'll pick and crush 350 pounds of Pinot Noir grapes. We could also use some help with the heavy lifting to get the grapes into our cars.
Later: Come back to Gesher with Rabbi Laurie and Rabbi Gary at about Noon or 12:30, to can the Pinot Noir Grape Juice that we bring back from the vineyard.. It will be fun to do it collectively, and we can teach you what we've learned over the last dozen years. Help with the heavy lifting at this end will also be appreciated.
This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY activity. Please bring gloves, clippers, sun hats and sunscreen and rain gear, weather permitting.
( If you let us know ahead of time, Mike and Betty will reserve some grapes for you to purchase for your own home at a little over a dollar a pound.)