This story will be updated throughout Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

(New York Jewish Week) — Labor Day Weekend signals two things: The end of the summer and, for the Jewish community, the onset of the High Holidays.

On Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday that begins on the evening of Sept. 15, Jews usher in the New Year of 5784. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins with the Kol Nidre service on the evening of Sept. 24 and continues through sundown on Sept. 25. 

Not a member of a synagogue or not sure how you’re going to mark the holidays this year? Not to worry. The New York Jewish Week has put together a list of local options, ranging from traditional synagogue services and family-friendly programs to volunteer opportunities and comedy shows. Our selection spans boroughs and price points, though all are open to the public. 

Whether you celebrate the High Holidays with a festive meal, praying in shul with fellow Jews or listening to a concert of liturgical music, there’s no shortage of ways to spend the Days of Awe in New York City. Keep scrolling to learn more. 

Is your synagogue or Jewish organization hosting High Holiday services or events that are open to the public? Send an email to jgergely@jewishweek.org with the details if you’d like us to add it to our list!

High Holiday services in Manhattan

Ohel Ayalah 

Ohel Ayalah is hosting in-person services for both days of Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. The traditional, egalitarian service is aimed at Jews in their 20s and 30s who are not already connected to a Jewish community. The service is free and open to the public, though pre-registration is recommended.

Kehilat Harlem

Kehillat Harlem, which “strives to make each person feel at home in our prayer space by upholding our commitment to halachah (Jewish law) while working hard to hold our commitments to maximum inclusivity,” according to its rabbi, Kyle Savitch, is offering free services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, though donations are encouraged. “ The services will have a mechitza, a partition separating men and women, hough attendees are encouraged to “sit in the section with which they identify, and we make space for anyone who identifies outside of the gender binary,” Savitch said. RSVP here.

Kol HaNeshamah

Kol HaNeshamah is a community on the Upper West Side that is offering Modern Orthodox High Holiday services open to the public. The services “will be accessible to all, with soaring music and prayers, meaningful commentary and a warm sense of community,” according to its website. A kiddush will follow the Rosh Hashanah services and a break fast will follow Yom Kippur services. Children’s services and child care are also available, with a magician too. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Learn more here.

JCC Harlem

Rabbi Mira Rivera, one of our 2023 “36 to Watch” honorees, will lead in-person services open to the public at JCC Harlem this year on each day of Rosh Hashanah, as well as on Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. Tickets start at $18 for family services and $36 for standard services. JCC Harlem and Embrace Harlem will also host a “wine down” walk and tashlich (casting one’s “sins” into a body of water) in Morningside Park on Sept. 17 at 4 p.m., with tickets starting at $54 per family.

B’nai Jeshurun 

The Upper West Side congregation will host a number of offerings for their Aviv community, which they describe as “Jewish young adults in their 20s and 30s, professionals and students, singles and couples, all committed to creating a Jewish life.” Aviv programming includes an Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner, Rosh Hashanah day one morning services, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur and Break Fast. Tickets are $36 per service per meal for non-members. Learn more here. 

Rodeph Sholom

Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side is hosting several events open to the public. There will be an Erev Rosh Hashanah service on Sept. 15 for 20s and 30s that includes a dessert and wine reception. Tickets are $36. There will also be a “Sholom Sprouts” service for families with children under 4, which costs $18 per adult. Rosh Hashanah Day 2 and Yom Kippur afternoon services are free and open to the public. Learn more here.

Sutton Place Synagogue

Sutton Place Synagogue will host a young professionals service open to those in their 20s and 30s. Tickets are $90 for one holiday or $118 for both holidays. The Conservative synagogue will also host a free service for families with children under 6. Registration is required. RSVP and find more information about here.

The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism

The City Congregation will host High Holiday services, which they describe as “full music and contemplation that express traditional Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur themes while honoring human reason and human dignity.” The congregation follows Humanistic Judaism, which is a “secular Jewish denomination that celebrates the centrality of human judgment and human power from a uniquely Jewish perspective.” The services will be held at Riverside Church and streamed via Zoom. There are a range of options for ticket prices, with no fees for first-time attendees under 35. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Find more information and register here.  

East Side Synagogue

East Side Synagogue is hosting services open to the community, specifically targeted towards the “unaffiliated and uninitiated” and will be most comfortable for those with secular, Reform and Conservative backgrounds. The services, which will be centered around the theme of tikkun olam, are “creative and contemporary with uplifting vocal and instrumental music and preaching that instructs and inspires.” On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish gospel-style singer Joshua Nelson will perform. Rosh Hashanah will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Yom Kippur will be held at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, both on the Upper East Side. There is no set ticket price for the services, although a donation is required for admission. Find more information here. 

92NY

This year, the Upper East Side community center is hosting in-person services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There will be a family service for those with children under 6; a youth service for kids ages 6-12 and a main service for adults. A combined all-access ticket costs $299, while individual services cost $95. Buy tickets and learn more here.

Temple Emanu-El 

The Upper East Side’s Temple Emanu-El will host a range of High Holiday services open to the public this year. Rosh Hashanah services for families with young children at the Helen Mills Theater in Chelsea will include honey tasting, music, crafts and food. The ticket for this service starts at $220, and is part of a package that includes access to the teens, young families and “participatory singing” services throughout the holidays. There will also be a Young Professionals Rosh Hashanah Shabbat Dinner on Sept. 15 for $45 per person. Many of the services will be livestreamed for the public on Facebook and Youtube. See the full schedule here.

Lab/Shul 

Experimental Jewish community Lab/Shul is back at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center this year with High Holiday offerings centered around the theme of “Havaya,” which they translate to “Everpresence” or “Existence.” Per Lab/Shul’s website, the services will be “meaningful, musical and meditative celebrations that fuse our oldest liturgies with contemporary art, engaging learning programs, and communal conversations.” The services are “all ages, all backgrounds, god-optional, artist driven, everybody friendly.” Tickets are $110 per service or $370 for all-access; they will also be livestreamed for free. Register here.

East End Temple

East End Temple, a Reform congregation in Gramercy, is offering services “filled with an abundance of joy, reflection, and connection,” per their website. There will be traditional services on both holidays, which cost $450 per person for non-members, and family services, which are free of charge but require pre-registration. There will also be a free livestream of the main service on both holidays. Find more information and register here.

Jewish Community Project Downtown

JCP, a pluralistic Jewish community in Tribeca, will be holding in-person services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They will have offerings for all ages, including a K-5 youth program and a musical program for families with children under 5. There will also be a family picnic on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are $360 for each holiday, which includes children’s services. See the schedule here.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a Reform congregation on the Upper West Side, is offering a full slate of High Holiday services this year, including family-friendly services. There will also be both early morning services at 9 a.m. and late morning services at 11 a.m. for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Though membership is required, SWFS is offering a 90% membership discount for those under 30, which comes to $360 and includes tickets for the High Holidays. High Holiday services will be available via livestream free of charge. Find more information here.

High Holiday services in Brooklyn

Dirah

Dirah, a Chabad-affiliated organization and open-to-all community in Carroll Gardens,  is hosting High Holiday services this year at Hannah Senesh Community Day School. Their website describes the offerings as “engaging and explanatory services [that] will blend contemporary meditations & messages with timeless melodies and traditional prayers.” Tashlich will be held at the Gowanus Canal. No membership or fees are required to attend. Learn more here.

Egalitarian Sephardi and Mizrahi services 

The Egalitarian Sephardi and Mizrahi Community of New York has organized services for Erev Rosh Hashanah, Kol Nidre and Neilah (Yom Kippur afternoon), which will take place in the social hall of Park Slope’s Congregation Beth Elohim. The services, which are sponsored by IfNotNow-BIJOCSM, Jewish Voice for Peace’s BIJOCSM Network, and JFREJ’s Mizrahi & Sephardi caucus, will be led by musician Laura Elkeslassy, a New York Jewish Week “36er” from 2022. There is a suggested ticket price of $36 per service. Learn more here. Elkeslassy will also host two workshops on Sept. 11 and 19 to teach Maghrebi music and High Holiday liturgy. Sign up here.

Congregation Beth Elohim 

Congregation Beth Elohim will host several services open to the public, including a free, all-Hebrew service for Israelis led by Rabbi Josh Weinberg. Rabbi Matt Green will lead Brooklyn Jews, “an experimental community for young Brooklynites looking to enter the Jewish conversation through art, text, politics, food and ritual,” for services at CBE in Park Slope and at the Union Temple House of CBE in Prospect Heights. Tickets are $40 per service or $140 for an all-access pass.

East Midwood Jewish Center

Want to spend the High Holidays in the same sanctuary that Mrs. Maisel and her family prayed in? Get tickets to attend services at East Midwood Jewish Center, a Conservative, egalitarian synagogue in the heart of Midwood, Brooklyn, which was used as the location for all the synagogue scenes in the beloved Amazon show. Non-member tickets cost $200 for either the sanctuary or Zoom, covering all holidays, and all services led by Rabbi Cantor Sam Levine. There are multiple kids services and activities, for children 12 and under, all free of charge. Learn more here.

Romemu Brooklyn 

Join Romemu Brooklyn, a “growing, dynamic, and Neo-Hasidic congregation,” for High Holiday services focused on the theme of “looking up.” The main “looking up” musical service will be led by Rabbi Scott Perlo and Hazzan Basya Schecter. Other offerings include an Erev Rosh Hashanah concert featuring music and stories, family services for children under 6 and a one-hour service, “Kids Rock the High Holy Days,” for elementary school-aged kids. The services will take place at The Arches, an event space and outdoor garden in Crown Heights. Tickets range from $49-$99, with an option to buy an all-access ticket to all services for $297. Learn more here.

High Holiday services in Queens

Malkhut

Malkhut, a progressive Jewish spiritual community in Western Queens, is hosting free and open-to-the-public High Holiday services this year at CUNY School of Law in Long Island City centered on the theme “Enough.” Register and find more information here.

Ashreynu

Ashreynu, a pluralistic, musical congregation based in Astoria, is hosting free services open to the public. The first day of Rosh Hashanah will be at the synagogue while the second day will be at Ralph Demarco Park. RSVP and find the full schedule here.

High Holiday services in the Bronx

Hebrew Institute of Riverdale

The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, also known as The Bayit, is offering “guest seats” to the public for the High Holidays. The synagogue is “open Orthodox,” which they define as “serving the entire Jewish community by warmly embracing all Jews, regardless of affiliation, commitment, orientation, race, or background.” In addition to services at The Bayit, there will also be an outdoor minyan in partnership with Century Minyan. Tickets for the Bayit service start at $350 for the entire High Holiday season; tickets for the outdoor minyan start at $225. Register and find the full schedule here.

High Holiday services in Staten Island

Congregation B’nai Israel

Join Congregation B’nai Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Staten Island, for services this year. Tickets start at $100. Email office@sicbi.com to register in advance.

Beyond the synagogue services

The Nosher’s gluten-free holiday baking class 

On Sept. 6 at 7 p.m., our partner site The Nosher will host a holiday baking class focusing on all the delicious ways to make your favorite treats gluten-free. The class will be taught by Orly Gottesman, a “36 to Watch” honoree and the owner and chef at Modern Bread and Bagel and Thyme and Tonic. Tickets for the online event start at $25.

Reverse tashlich with Repair the Sea

Join Repair the Sea on Sunday, Sept. 10 for their annual “Reverse Tashlich”: a day of volunteering doing waterfront cleanup. Several New York area synagogues are organizing clean-ups; check out the full list and register to join them here.

Monajat album release party with Galeet Dardashti 

In a new album, singer Galeet Dardashti has reimagined the tradition of Selichot, the prayers of repentance said in the lead up to the High Holidays. Dardashti has put together an album of original songs inspired by recordings of the Jewish prayers of her late grandfather, the Persian singer Younes Dardashti. In collaboration with the Neighborhood: An Urban Center for Jewish Life, Dardashti is releasing this album at Littlefield NYC on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $18. Learn more here. 

Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on the Upper West Side will host a number of ways to engage in and prepare for the High Holidays. On Sept. 12, join Rabbi Miriam Herscher and Rabbi Adam Huttel for “The Healing Shofar: A Night of Remembrance,” a free virtual class about grieving the loss of a loved one. On Kol Nidre, the JCC will host an orchestral concert with Israeli cellist Elad Kabilio featuring liturgical and secular music. Get tickets for $25. There will also be a “pay-what-you-wish” tashlich service on Sept. 19 at Riverside Park. Visit their website for more info. 

Workers Circle 

The Workers Circle will host hour-long Zoom events on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. The Rosh Hashanah session will be a “joyous musical celebration of unity, action, and renewal” and will include readings and performances by Jewish educators and Yiddish musicians. The Yom Kippur session will feature similar performances with an aim to “sing, share stories, reflect on the past year, and together commit to critical activism to make our world a better and more beautiful place for all.” Tickets are $25 for Workers Circle members and $36 for non-members; click here for info. 

Shofar Across Brooklyn

UJA-Federation New York has once again teamed up with several synagogues and communities in Brooklyn to put together the “Shofar Across Brooklyn,” a free, out-of-doors way to listen to the blowing of the shofar on Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m. in various neighborhoods throughout the borough. Check out the map to find the location closest to you. 

Uptown Shofar blowing with Chabad Young Jewish Professionals 

Chabad Young Jewish Professionals of the Upper East Side Young is hosting multiple free 15-minute outdoor shofar-blowing services on Sunday, Sept. 17. The services are open to all, regardless of age or affiliation, and will take place at various times throughout the day in Central Park, John Jay Park and Carl Schurz Park. Find more information and the rest of their high holiday offerings here.

The Sway Machinery concert with Congregation Beth Elohim

Jeremiah Lockwood will be performing with his band, The Sway Machinery, for an immersive musical experience titled “The Dream Past: A Sonic Conjuring.” The concert, which will focus on cantorial revival music and draw upon High Holiday liturgy, will take  place Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. It is hosted by Congregation Beth Elohim and will take place at Union Temple House in Prospect Heights. Tickets start at $18.

Rosh Hashanah at The Bitter End 

Join Sim Shalom, a Jewish universalist synagogue, for their annual concert and jazz-heavy services led by Steven Blane, a musician and rabbi, and featuring a jazz quartet, held Sept. 16 at The Bitter End in the West Village. Sim Shalom will also be hosting online services for all the services throughout the holidays, including a livestream of The Bitter End concert. Tickets for The Bitter End concert start at $149; access to services online also start at $149.

Bowl Hashanah with Rabbi Daniel Brenner and Jeremiah Lockwood

Rosh Hashanah returns to Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Bowl this year with musical performances led by Jeremiah Lockwood, Antibalas’ Jordan McLean and others, plus a traditional Torah service led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner. Tickets for the Sept. 16 service start at $60. Learn more here.

Yom Kippur comedy show

Prepare for the Yom Kippur fast by laughing alongside Jewish comics at West Side Comedy Club. Orli Matlow hosts “The Days of HA: A Jewish High Holidays Comedy Show” on Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. Comics include Ariel Elias, Eitan Levine, Josh Gondelman and Dana Friedman. Get tickets for $10 here.

Famous Jewish food of New York tour

Get ready for the Yom Kippur fast by filling up on all of New York’s best Jewish food, including bagels, pastrami and lox, with Scott Goodfriend, who leads Ultimate Food Tours around New York City. He is hosting a special tour of Jewish food and history on the Upper East Side on Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. Get tickets for $90.

“Kugels and Komedians” comedy show

Danielle Brody, one of our “36 to Watch” honorees last year, is hosting “Kugels and Komedians,” a High Holiday-themed comedy show on Sept. 12 at The Grisly Pear Midtown. The evening’s headliner is Pamela Rae Schuller from Netflix’s “Jewish Matchmaking.” There will also be kugel, Jewish board games and Jewish holiday calendars for sale. Tickets are $15 with the promo code “KUGEL5.” Buy them here.

Looking for more? 

In addition to the guide we’ve put together, be sure to check out UJA-Federation New York’s “Find-A-Service” list of High Holiday services across the city and surrounding areas, which includes services open to non-members at a range of ticket prices. (UJA-Federation is a funder of 70 Faces Media, the New York Jewish Week’s parent company.) Chabad Lubavitch also has a portal on their website to locate a Chabad-run service happening near you. For those that can’t make it to in-person services this year, our partner site, My Jewish Learning, has put together a list of virtual options of every service this High Holiday season.