We hope you’ll join us for family programming in the courtyard. Early childhood educator Joanne Riel will return to EMJC to lead a lively program that focuses on the themes of RH and YK, little-kid style (babes-age five or so). There’ll be story, song, and interactive play. Joanne will be setting up around 9:45 am. Her program will begin promptly at 10:00 and will run for thirty minutes. Please note: this is not a drop-off! Every child needs an adult escort.
At 10:35, we’ll launch into our more formal Katan service. It’s good for kids up to about age eight or nine. EMJC parents Becky Phillips and Murray Lantner will again be our primary facilitators. The service will go until 11:10. Again, this is not a drop-off!
At 11:15, we’ll begin the older kids program. Room J teacher Gabrielle Linchner will be the facilitator. She’ll wrap up at about noon.
We’ll conclude with apples, honey, challah, and grape juice on both days of RH. And there’ll be a shofar at some point (details tbd). Among other specifics, we’re still figuring out the viability of a YK light lunch and whether we can hold some kind of courtyard tashlich on RH I. we’re also hoping to create a very quiet play area on the other side of the courtyard so kids can remain nearby while programming that’s not for them is taking place. We’ll also have a Zoom-only plan in case some unforeseen circumstance prevents us from meeting face to face.
We’re going to need a lot of adult hands on deck to ensure these three days go smoothly. We know many families face some head-scratching in terms of how to honor our protocols, meet the needs of their kids, and address personal desires to be in the Main Sanctuary. We hope your frustrations are dwarfed by our excitement around coming together and recognizing we’re all doing the best we can.
Finally, please understand that by necessity, we’ve got to take a firm stance in the implementation of our safety guidelines. These are not the days for any kinds of mischief anywhere in the building or courtyard. There’ll be BimBoms, holiday parties, and goofy fun on other days. But for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we’re committed to providing age-appropriate programming and keeping everyone safe. We’re counting on everyone’s support.
Lastly, family programming doesn’t require tickets (but we’d be delighted for your rsvps). It’s our hope that participating families will nonetheless make a donation to EMJC. We suggest a minimum of $50.00, if you can swing it.
For children and family programming questions, email roomj@emjc.org
