The Days of Awe

Michele Marr

For the past five days, Jews worldwide have been observing the Days

of Awe, a 10-day period of deep introspection and repentance that

began with Rosh Hashana and ends Monday after sunset on Yom Kippur.

Each year on Rosh Hashana, God writes his judgments in his books

-- who will live, who will die, who will have a good life, who will

have a bad life in the new year. But during the Days of Awe, acts of

repentance, reconciliation and prayer can change God’s judgments

before they are sealed.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish

year. Many Jews, who do not regularly observe other holidays, will

attend long synagogue services during the 24-hour period of fasting

and prayer.

Attendance at Congregation B’nai Tzedek overflows the seating

capacity of its sanctuary, which seats close to 235, and its social

hall, which can seat nearly another 200.

“On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur people come out in incredible

numbers,” said the congregation’s rabbi, Steve Einstein. “We get 800

or 900 people coming.”

So during the High Holy Days, he leads services in borrowed

buildings. The congregation held services at Sts. Simon and Jude

Catholic Church on Rosh Hashana. For Yom Kippur they will meet at the

Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints on 17th Street.

“These congregations have been very gracious to us,” Einstein

said. “Without them allowing us to use their facilities we would have

to hold double services. [This way] our services don’t have to be cut

short. We can let the full celebration occur. It’s wonderful for the

whole congregation to be together on the High Holy Days.”

They will gather on Sunday after sundown for Kol Nidre, a 2

1/2-hour service of plaintive chant that sets the solemn mood and

tone of soul-searching and repentance that characterizes Yom Kippur.

They will ask God’s forgiveness for wrongs they have done and they

will consider the moral and spiritual changes they need to make in

their hearts and their lives.

“The focus in all of the services is on getting back on track in

our relationship with God and our relationships with other people,”

Einstein said.

Late in the evening they will go home to sleep but continue to

fast. On Monday they will continue their prayers at a 3 1/2-hour

morning service. Age-appropriate youth services and child care are

provided for young family members.

After a short, early afternoon break, Einstein will offer a

45-minute, question-and-answer forum called Rap with the Rabbi “for

ages 3 to 103.” Then after a late afternoon break another four to

five hours of services begin.

“If you are really trying to change your heart, the first thing

you have to do is... It’s a lot like what happens when we go to have

our teeth cleaned,” he said. “The hygienist is like sandblasting.

She’s banging away at those teeth until she finally chips away all

the stuff that has to get [removed]. That’s what is going on

[spiritually] on Yom Kippur. We have to work at it until we’re ready

to open ourselves up.”

The evening services include Mincha, a review of history from

creation and the role of key events in spiritual identity and growth;

Yizkor, a memorial service in remembrance of loved ones and a

reflection on brevity of life; and Ne’ilah.

“It’s our last opportunity on this day to really make sure we are

getting it right,” Einstein said.

Ne’ilah concludes Yom Kippur with a single, long blast of the

shofar, a ram’s horn blown much like a trumpet.

“It’s the most serious day of the year, the holiest day of the

year but it’s not sad,” Einstein said. “By the time we reach the end

there’s a sense of exaltation.”

He has been with the congregation since it began with 31

households of single adults, married couples and families in 1976. It

held services at the First United Methodist Church in Fountain Valley

for its first 7 years until it purchased the property where its

buildings are now on Talbert Ave., about a mile in any direction from

Huntington Beach.

It has grown to 440 households with members who live in Huntington

Beach, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Westminster and as far away as

Orange and Capistrano Beach.

“People will travel when they find somewhere that feels like a

spiritual home to them,” said Einstein. But the majority of the

synagogue’s members come from Huntington Beach. “Ask someone in

Huntington Beach ‘What’s your local Reform congregation?’ and they

will say ‘It’s [Congregation B’nai Tzedek].’”

“B’nai Tzedek” means “children of justice.” The congregation’s

motto, “Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof -- Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue,”

is taken from the Book of Deuteronomy. Their goal is to pursue

justice, righteousness and brotherhood in their synagogue life, as

well as in the community at large.

For more information, call Congregation B’nai Tzedek at (714)

963-4611.