Since its inception in 2005, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s “Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars” has become a highlight on the Jewish Baltimore calendar and a nationwide model. This year, after a hiatus during the pandemic, the Sept. 6 event at Oregon Ridge Park returns to celebrate the Jewish new year.
Oregon Ridge is located at 13555 Beaver Dam Rd. in Cockeysville. The park’s gates open at 4 p.m., and the family-friendly service will start at 6. In the past, the event has attracted more than 6,000 attendees.
BHC’s Rabbi Elissa Sachs-Kohen and Cantor Ben Ellerin will lead the service that attendees can download in advance and follow along on their mobile devices, or on the jumbotron at Oregon Ridge.
As in other years, attendees are invited to bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners to enjoy prior to the start of the service. “When the service starts, the focus shifts,” said Rabbi Sachs-Kohen. “There’s another layer of feeling, a sense of awe.”
She compared the service to “what our ancestors might have experienced: a large group of people outdoors, amidst God’s creation, in a way that impacts not only our brains but also our bodies and our spirits.”
Said Jill Feinberg, the event’s chair: “I’m so looking forward to being back together and celebrating Rosh Hashanah among friends and family. We know that folks have been wanting to be together and this service offers a safe and sacred way to do so.”
“Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars” is free and open to the public, but you must register in advance. BHC continues to partner with GEDCO and asks that everyone bring non-perishable goods to donate.
For information, click here.
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