Friday Night Shabbat
Our Friday night Shabbat (sabbath) services usually last one hour or a bit longer, and depending on the starting time of the service, are either followed or preceded by time for food and fellowship. These services often are somewhat more creative and more likely to explore our tradition in new ways. The starting time for the Friday night service varies considerably during the month so it’s a good idea to call the Temple (x316), check the Temple Bulletin, or look at our online calendar to confirm when it begins.
Saturday Morning Shabbat
Our Saturday morning Shabbat services, though still warm and participatory, are a bit more traditional. These services often include a Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration and last approximately 1.5–2 hours. During the regular program year (September–June), this service begins at 10:00 a.m. (except for special holy days). Saturday morning services include readings from the weekly Torah portion and Haftarah (prophetic) portion and a D’var Torah (Torah interpretation), offered by either a Bar/Bat Mitzvah student or our clergy.
Feeling rusty on being called to the torah? Learn how to perform an aliyah.
Minyan
A more traditional, weekly minyan service takes place Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. These congregant-led services generally last between 25 and 35 minutes and use the Mishkan Teffilah prayer book.
Hebrew School
During the religious school year, there is a weekly Hebrew school service on Wednesday evenings at 5:20 p.m. to which the congregation is invited. The service is led by Rabbi Kraus with assistance from our Hebrew school students, who offer their own interpretation of the week’s Torah portion.
Summer Services
During July and August, Shabbat services continue but take on a more relaxed feeling befitting the season. On Friday nights, we gather for a short, half-hour Shabbat service that starts at 6:00 p.m. This service is held outside on the Temple’s patio if the weather permits.
On Saturday mornings during the summer, our abbreviated Shabbat service begins at 9:30 a.m. and includes time for a short Torah study. We plan to finish by 11:00 a.m. on summer Saturdays. Many Temple members especially enjoy these summer services. They look forward to sharing a leisurely Shabbat dinner after the early Friday night service or getting a taste of Torah study during the Saturday morning service.
