Intimate and Inspiring Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at Gesher
How do we live in a world that is filled with the arbitrary?
What a world we live in! Filled with blessings and immense challenges. It is our profound observation that EVERY challenge is a spiritual opportunity. And there are abundant challenges. From rising costs to the War in Iran, from the impact of terror spread by ICE to the cutback in resourcees to the poor and the increased in acts of antisemitism. How do we live given these challenges?
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 from celebrating a rich and vibrant home centered tradition. Gesher - A Bridge Home approaches this High Holy Day season with careful approach to providing an alternative to walking into services and feeling overwhelmed and estranged.
What Gesher offers is an intimate, nourishing and joyful experience of Jewish home, and hearty and genuine welcome.
Rosh Hashanah Meals and Services
Gesher invites you to join Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg and Rabbi Gary Schoenberg at Gesher, their bridge home, for festive, nourishing and joyful meals, intimate heart-centered conversation and prayer services in the forest to celebrate the first steps into a Jewish New Year.
Gesher brings village life , especialily to unaffiliated Jews, to make the journey home to the peace, quiet and grandeur of the forest, aligned with the setting sun and the rising stars, Gesher invites you to engage in the search for home in a culture of loneliness through feasts that celebrate the candle light and connection conversation that prepares us to be inspired by shofar’s calls to prayer and song.
Rosh Hashanah
Friday evening, September 11 at 5:30 pm.
Candlelight, Sumptuous food, meaningful conversation, study and prayer
Saturday morning, September 12 at 10:00 am - Rosh Hashanah.Morning- Featuring shofar blowing, Torah reading, Lunch and Tashlich
An intimate gathering, in the forest, to listen to the Shofar, engage with haunting Rosh Hashanah Torah readings, enter into uplifting prayers and explore themes of Ethical and Spiritual Challenges, Renewal and Return. Stay for a very festive potluck pescatarianlunch at 1:00 pm and a walk at 1:45 pm to nearby Marshall Park for Tashlich - a ceremony of symbolically “casting our wrongdoings into the waters.”
Erev Yom Kippur: Friday, March 18, 5 pm a spiritual meal before the fast and Kol Nidre services to follow
Where: Gesher, 10701 SW 25th Avenue in Portland | Marshall Park
Planning for the rest of the High Holy Days? Find out about opportunities for Yom Kippur here and Sukkot here.
All events are at Gesher, the home of Rabbis Laurie Rutenberg and Gary Schoenberg 10701 SW 25th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97219