Each year when the High Holidays come around, we’re given the opportunity to pause, reflect, and begin again. Here at The Selfhelp Home, we try to capture the feeling of this important time by creating meaningful opportunities for residents to gather in prayer, explore cherished traditions and welcome the new year together.
This year, in addition to the beautiful programming and conversations planned by Jonathan Schwartz, our Director of Jewish Life, we will be dedicating a beautiful new ark for our Torahs, made possible by Larry z”l and Donna Mayer.
Dedicating a New Ark
This Rosh Hashanah will also mark a special moment in the life of The Selfhelp Home. On September 11, the community will unveil a new Aron Kodesh, a gift from Larry z”l and Donna Mayer, treasured friends of Selfhelp.
Donna’s presence has been felt throughout the Home for many years, including through her leadership of Selfhelp’s beloved Gift Shop. As the Home’s renovation ushers in an exciting new chapter, their gift will become a lasting part of the sacred space where residents gather in prayer and community.
The ark will be adorned with a new ark curtain, or parochet in Hebrew, designed by Israeli artist Chanah Gamliel. Above the ark will hang our new Ner Tamid, or eternal light. The blown-glass flame was designed and fabricated by Gabriel Bass. Both pieces were created in Israel and brought to their new home at Selfhelp as gifts from the Mayer family.
The dedication at the start of Rosh Hashanah makes the occasion especially fitting, bringing together Selfhelp’s history, its enduring traditions and its hopes for the future.
Welcoming a New Year Together
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on September 11.
It is a time to look back on the year that has passed while looking ahead with hope, gratitude and renewed purpose. Through prayer, reflection and familiar traditions, residents will have the opportunity to welcome 5787 as a community.
Following Rosh Hashanah is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Its themes of forgiveness, remembrance and renewal offer a meaningful opportunity for personal reflection and spiritual connection.
Jonathan Schwartz will lead services throughout both holidays, helping residents engage with the prayers and traditions in ways that feel welcoming and personal.
Part of the holiday itinerary includes discussion groups facilitated by Jonathan where our residents explore their connection to the meaning, history and customs of the holidays.
Residents are given the space to ask questions, share memories and offer their perspective.
For some, the holidays bring back traditions practiced throughout a lifetime. For others, they may offer an opportunity to learn something new. Each voice adds another layer of meaning to the experience.
“Each resident brings a unique Jewish history and identity with them, and together, with kindness, open minds and mutual respect,” Jonathan explains. “We have created a nurturing, pluralistic Jewish community devoted to study, prayer and Jewish culture.”
Honoring Tradition, Embracing What Comes Next
The High Holidays remind us that remembrance and renewal are deeply connected. We carry the lessons, stories and traditions of the past with us as we step forward into a new year.
This season at The Selfhelp Home will reflect that same spirit.
Residents will gather in a changing space, surrounded by familiar prayers, thoughtful conversation and a new ark that will serve the community for years to come.
Together, these moments will honor where Selfhelp has been while welcoming all that lies ahead.
Full Holiday Schedule
