High Holydays Family & Teen Programming
We have a wonderful team of service leaders, youth musicians and songleaders, and childcare professionals providing youth and family programming for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. On each holiday there will be two family services, one for children ages 6 and younger, and one for 2nd-7th graders. We also have a teen program for our post b’nei mitzvah aged members. For families with siblings spanning both family services, please pick the service that will best suit your family (siblings of any age are welcome at either family service)!
Childcare*
Childcare is provided after both the Shorashim (families with children 6 years old and younger) and the Family Service (families with children in 2nd-7th grade), enabling parents to join the main service for the Torah service and Rabbi Toba’s talk. Childcare will include a hardy snack and activities connected with High Holyday themes. On Yom Kippur, childcare will also be provided in the evening starting at Mincha.
Please read on for details!
Kol Nidre & Yom Kippur
Kol Nidre Children's Program
When: October 4, 6:45pm
Where: Gann Academy's Beit Midrash
Who: children ages 8 and up
After hearing the chanting of Kol Nidre, children will be invited to a program led by Rabbi Emily Mathis connected to the themes of the holiday, followed by childcare. The children’s program is geared toward children 8 years old and up.
Yom Kippur Shorashim (Roots) Service - ages 6 and younger When: October 5, 10:00-10:45am
Where: Under a shade structure in the Gann Academy Field (no livestream)
Who: Families with children ages 6 and younger
Families with children aged 2-6 are invited to join fabulous musician and experienced Jewish early childhood educator, JoJo Madden, for an interactive Yom Kippur experience! (In-person only)
Yom Kippur Family Service
When: October 5, 10:00-11am
Where: Gann Academy Beit Midrash
Who: Children grades 2-7 & their grown-ups
Children grades 2-7 & their families are invited to for an interactive Yom Kippur Service. Education Director, Earnest Arky Solomon, will lead services along with: CDT bands and youth tefilah (Jewish prayer) leaders, and songleader Ora Gladstone. There will be movement, song, stories, and opportunities to reflect on Yom Kippur themes.
Childcare will be available after the service. Childcare will conclude with kids joining adults in the main service for the shofar service and a story with Rabbi Toba.
Yom Kippur Teen Program
When: October 5, 10:00-11:00am
Where: Gann Academy - exact location tbd
Who: Post B'nei Mitzvah aged teens
Post B’nei Mitzvah teens are invited to reconnect with their Dorshei Tzedek community at our Yom Kippur teen program. Join CDT educator and rabbinical student, Hannah Limov, to connect with other teens and explore how High Holyday themes connect to important issues in our lives and society.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah Shorashim (Roots) Service - ages 6 and younger
When: September 26, 10:00-10:45am
Where: Under a shade structure in the Gann Academy Field (no livestream)
Who: Families with children ages 6 and younger
Families with children aged 2-6 are invited to celebrate the birthday of the world with CDT member and educator, Rabbi Emily Mathis!
Rosh Hashanah Family Service
When: September 26, 10:00-11am
Where: Gann Academy Beit Midrash
Who: Children grades 2-7 & their grown-ups
Chilren grades 2-7 & their families are invited to an interactive Rosh Hashanah celebration. Education Director, Earnest Arky Solomon, will lead services along with: CDT bands and youth tefilah (Jewish prayer) leaders, and songleader Ora Gladstone. There will be movement, song, stories, and opportunities to reflect on the new year. Childcare will be available after the service. Childcare will conclude with kids joining adults in the main service for the shofar service and a story with Rabbi Toba.
Rosh Hashanah Teen Program
When: September 26, 10:00-11:00am
Where: Gann Academy - exact classroom location tbd
Who: Post B'nei Mitzvah aged teens
Post B’nei Mitzvah teens are invited to reconnect with their Dorshei Tzedek community at our Rosh Hashanah teen program. Join CDT educator and rabbinical student, Hannah Limov, to connect with other teens and explore how High Holyday themes connect to important issues in our lives and society.
Rosh Hashanah Day Two
Rosh Hashanah Day Two Nature Walk Service
When: September 27, 10:00-11:30am
Where: The Cove at Auburndale Cove
Who: All Ages - this is a family friendly event
All ages are invited to join CDT Educator and rabbinical student, Hannah Limov, for a Rosh Hashanah nature walk service. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the world. We will gather at the beautiful Auburndale Cove and celebrate the earth through prayer, movement, mindfulness, and community building.
Make sure to type in "The Cove" on West Pine St. in your GPS to get to the correct part of the park.
Please park in the parking lot on West Pine St. We will gather in the big field there. Please come prepared! Wear rain boots, with all this wet weather we should be prepared for puddles. Bug spray is also recommended
High Holyday Leaders 5783
Rabbi Emily Mathis
Shorashim & Kol Nidre Service Leader
Rabbi Emily Mathis has served communities across much of the Jewish spectrum, most recently in Cambridge and on Boston’s North Shore. Prior to her work in Jewish settings, Emily directed programming in the fields of environmental education, urban gardening and family literacy. In addition to her rabbinic work, she is a family herbalist, and can generally be found in the kitchen working on her next project and drinking coffee. She and her spouse, Hali Diecidue, live in West Newton with their three girls (22, 12, and 5.5) and one labradoodle.
JoJo Madden (she/her)
Shorashim Family Service Leader
JoJo (Josephine) Madden was born and raised in Israel and adopted by New England. JoJo is a musician and creative soul. She specializes in teaching hebrew and Jewish heritage to children through Music, Movement, Arts and Literature. JoJo believes that learning through (thoughtful) fun is the best way to learn. JoJo believes in each one of us doing everything we can to make a better world together. So she encourages positive Jewish values and humanitarian approaches in all of her classes effortlessly, as part of the regular practice. JoJo has a way of connecting with ALL children and her endless love for them shines. JoJo is really looking forward to celebrating the High Holydays with the wonderful community of Dorshei Tzedek!
Hannah Limov (they/she) is deeply excited to be joining the CDT community for the High Holydays and throughout the year as the 5th grade Sunday teacher, 8th grade program leader. They are a first year rabbinical student at Hebrew College, having spent the past 8 years living and working in western North Carolina in a variety of social work positions and at various synagogues. She received her BA in Environmental Studies and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder and their MSW from Western Carolina University. They believe that Judaism holds powerful wisdom for healing our hearts, minds, and the world; and loves to adventure in the woods, dig their hands into soil tending to plant babies, sing off key with friends, and cuddle her extremely adorable and weird kitties Lily and Padfoot.
Ora Gladstone (she/her)
A member of CDT since (almost) it’s inception Ora is very active with Tikkun Olam initiatives and work related to recognizing and focusing on issues related to race and economic justice inequality. She was the assistant director of the Hillel at Brandeis for over 2 decades and spent another decade heading up an interfaith dialogue at MIT while teaching music and employed as the music therapist for the Waltham Schools. Her fully grown up kids are “graduates" of CDT and the family as a whole splits it’s alliance with Boston Workers Circle. She is delighted to be using her music skills again these yamim noraim working with Earnest on the High Holydays Family Service.