Prayer & Worship

The central purpose of any synagogue is the development of Jewish spirituality. The Temple believes we best serve God through a pluralistic approach to worship, allowing for the personal experience of prayer to coexist alongside a welcoming spiritual environment for the entire community.

Every Shabbat, we gather together as a community for worship services. These include a 6:00 PM service on Friday evenings and a 10:30 AM service on Saturday mornings.

On Shabbat mornings, when we are celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah in the Sanctuary, we also have a smaller, more intimate worship in our Chapel at the same time. Learning is an integral part of this service, and we often involve lay people as service leaders and Torah readers.

In addition to our regular Shabbat worship, we also host a number of special worship services throughout the year.

We host regular YoFI Services and Shabbat Shalom Temple! for families that have younger children. YoFI Shabbat is aimed at young people (kindergarten through 2nd grade) and combines liturgy with song and storytelling.

Meanwhile, Mini-Shabbat Mornings are special celebrations for children five-years-old and younger. Together with a cast of puppets, our clergy teaches and entertains the children during a brief worship service and age-appropriate song session.

Young adults from all around the community are welcome at The Well! These soulful services are perfect for anyone of any level of familiarity with Judaism and worship.  Led by Rabbi Sam Kaye, come to hear their music, poetry, prayer, and more!

Beyond Shabbat, the Jewish calendar is full of holy days. The Temple is a place to observe these days and a resource for those who wish to mark them outside of the synagogue. There is, of course, the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Temple also provides resources and worship opportunities at other times such as Passover or Chanukah.

The liturgy is a major component of Jewish prayer and worship. The Temple also emphasizes music as a pathway to Jewish spirituality, and under the leadership of Cantor Scher, we offer a diverse musical environment. There are also opportunities to become involved in the musical life of The Temple, as a musician or singer in our choir.