Beth Israel offers free Yom Kippur seats to Edmonton families with children

by Regan Treewater

(AJNews) – Beth Israel Synagogue is proud to be able to support bridge building within the Edmonton Jewish community again this High Holiday season with free Yom Kippur service seats available for young families.  In 2023 the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) made the historic decision to plan their academic year with Yom Kippur in mind.  All EPSB schools were closed on this holiest of days for professional development, leaving Jewish students able to attend services.

“We made the decision to offer free Yom Kippur tickets in 2023 to seize the opportunity to welcome members of the community who might otherwise not attend shul,” explained Beth Israel board member Micheal Sadovnick in a recent phone interview with Alberta Jewish News.  “It’s one thing to tell kids that they don’t have to go to school, but then they still need somewhere to go.”

After 11 families joined their Yom Kippur service through this outreach initiative in 2023, the Beth Israel board has decided to again offer free tickets as a means of strengthening Yiddishkeit in Edmonton.  Families with a child between the ages of kindergarten and grade 12 can register online.

“We want to remove as many barriers as we can,” said Sadovnick.  He continued to explain that the barriers for families might be financial, but that for others it might be that they feel nervous going to shul. “We are ‘the family shul,’ and it’s about connecting with Judaism and building the community.  Parents may have memories of attending High Holiday services as children, but haven’t set foot in a synagogue since, and this is a non-intimidating way of letting them reconnect with those memories and their Jewish traditions.”

Last year, with the generous support of the Edmonton Jewish Community Foundation (EJCF), Beth Israel was able to offer a breaking the fast catered meal.  This year, once again, the EJCF will sponsor dinner to break the Yom Kippur fast.  “There are community members who have also contributed, and continue to contribute, but we really are grateful for the generosity of the Edmonton Jewish Community Foundation.”

This year, through the efforts of Christina Tsippora Reboh, there will be a new teen lounge hangout and library space ready to welcome youth. Robin Marcus, and other volunteers are working hard on children’s programming for the High Holidays, and there will be enriching activities for all age groups.  “We will be bringing in people from the Talmud Torah Early Learning Centre to help coordinate for smaller kids,” elaborated Sadovnick.

He further explained that although annual synagogue membership goes a long way to supporting the vitality of Jewish life in a community, this initiative is not about gaining new congregants but opening the door for people. “Membership is not the only way to count people. We need to count and include those who may want to attend.  We want families to have meaningful Jewish experiences together.” This outreach is a great way to welcome newcomers to Edmonton, but also eliminate financial barriers, and facilitate connections between Jewish families.

“We want to support Judaism in Edmonton.”

“We aren’t trying to poach people from other shuls,” Sadovnick joked.  “We just want to give Jewish families options and opportunities.”  This year Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, so regardless of EPSB scheduling, kids will not be in school leaving families able to make this holiest of days a part of their lives.  Jewish families with children in any school system between kindergarten and grade 12 are eligible for these free seats and should register online at: http://www.familyshul.org/form/hh-seats-2024.html