High Holy Days 5785: FAQs

High Holy Day registration is now open! We have sent invitations to register on a rolling basis, in order of your join/renewal date. As of the beginning of September, all members who have renewed have received invitations to register. High Holy Days registration will now be sent on a daily basis until Rosh Hashanah. If you think you have not received an invitation to register and should have, please email 5785@bj.org.

We all know that despite the best intentions, plans sometimes change at the last minute. Every year, there are members who register for services that they ultimately do not attend, or arrive at services without having registered for that location.

We do our best to balance these somewhat unpredictable circumstances, to ensure that our multiple prayer spaces are each as full as possible, and to enable all members who wish to join in person to do so. This means that if you arrive late to services, it is possible that you may need to be seated at an alternate service location (e.g. SPSA instead of the BJ Sanctuary). In order to ensure that you are seated at your desired service location—even after having registered for that location—we highly encourage you to arrive early to secure your seats.

As always, we anticipate that every seat will be needed for the High Holy Days. Therefore you may save seats for others until 10:00 AM at morning services and until the time the service begins at evening services. After that point, saved seats must be released and available for our ushers to fill.

Full access to the High Holy Days at BJ is available exclusively to BJ members in good standing. We encourage you to become a BJ member to ensure access to High Holy Day services in person. With our sliding-scale dues, this option is affordable to all. Registration is now closed for non-member guest.

The following select in-person services are available to non-members. Please use the specific registration links below:

For any or all of the following, use this registration link:

• Rosh Hashanah Evening Service (Second Day only)
• Mindfulness Service for Rosh Hashanah
• Early Childhood Service for Rosh Hashanah (First and Second Day) and Yom Kippur

For Aviv 20s and 30s services and meals, please use this link for more information and then select the option you prefer.

Members with individual memberships receive one entrance card. Those with family memberships receive entrance cards for two adults plus any other household members 26 years and under.

We are again utilizing the conference-style online registration system we have used for the past two years, based on tremendous success and member feedback. The system allows members to select the services they wish to join (subject to availability) for themselves and each household member.

Registration for guests of members is now closed. All current members were sent a link inviting them to purchase entrance cards for their guests. The fee for each guest entrance card is $400 for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, or $600 for access to all High Holy Day services. With the exception of second night Rosh Hashanah, guest seating will only be available at SPSA, so if you want to sit with your guests, please register at SPSA. If you need this email resent, please email 5785@bj.org.

Registration is required for non-members to access the BJ High Holy Day livestream. For the first time, we are introducing a modest fee for non-members to help cover the rising costs of providing a high-quality and accessible online experience everyone in our global community has come to know.

BJ members in good standing will automatically be registered and receive access to the livestream at no charge, regardless of whether you are joining us in person for High Holy Day services.

If you can’t find your email, BJ members can access the livestream by logging in to this website. Please use the same email address that you have used for your High Holy Day registration and membership record.

You can purchase a digital copy of Mahzor Lev Shalem from the Rabbinical Assembly at rabookstore.org. (Hard copies are also available for pick-up only in New Jersey.)

In addition, limited hard copies are available for loan to members in good standing. Reservations must be made in advance, and the hard copies must be picked up in person. Fill out this form to reserve your hard copy.

To be a member in good standing, your account balance must be paid in full or on a payment plan. If you intend to send in a check, stock/wire transfer, or a contribution from a donor advised fund, please contact the Membership department about the timing of your payment. Read more information about the good-standing policy.

Yes, we will need ushers and greeters to help create a warm communal energy at our services! If you are interested in this volunteer role, you will have the opportunity to indicate your interest when registering for services. 

All current members will receive an entrance card in the mail, which must be presented upon arrival at services for entry. You will also be able to print entrance cards at home in case they do not arrive in time.

At all Adult Services, there will be a limited number of seats in a mask-required seating section, for masked individuals who need to be seated near others who are also wearing a mask. These seats will be in the rear of the left side of the Sanctuary as you face the bimah.

Because seats in this section are limited and we anticipate all seats being filled, please arrive early to services if you need to be seated in this section. Please note that after 10:00 AM (for morning services) or once the service begins (for evening services), any unused seats in this section may need to be filled by others in the community.