Rosh Hashanah

Alecia Foster NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- Choosing Tuesday's Rosh Hashanah message was no problem for Temple Sinai's interim Rabbi Jeffrey Ronald. "We've been handed our text by recent events," Ronald said, alluding to the recent terrorist attacks on America. The call of the shofar, or ram's horn, and the call of war were addressed by Ronald as part of Rosh Hashanah services Tuesday. The two-day religious celebration began Monday at sundown and marked the beginning of the year 5762 -- the number of years since the creation of Adam and Eve. "Essentially, we're celebrating the birth of the human race," Ronald said.

GLENDALE — As the sun sets Friday evening, many members of the Jewish community will be gathering with friends and family to celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah — the beginning of the Jewish year, and a time for reflection on actions in the past and creation of positive resolutions for the future. The actual holiday occurs on Saturday, but celebration begins Friday evening as the traditional Jewish day begins at sundown. "It's a time when we as human beings rejuvenate ourselves and plan a better life," said Rabbi Simcha Backman of the Chabad Jewish Center.

Janine Marnien The traditional time for Jews to reflect and experience spiritual renewal begins tonight with the blowing of the ram's horn, or shofar. The sound is the beginning of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, and is a time to seek atonement. "Having a specific time set aside for this gives the person a sense of regularity," said Rabbi Jonathan Biatch of Glendale's Temple Sinai. "They know at a certain point to join together with their community and seek atonement."

Karen S. Kim Temple Sinai of Glendale is getting ready to bring in the new year as the High Holy Days quickly approach. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5763, will be celebrated Sept. 7, and Yom Kippur, a day of quiet reflection and repentance, will be observed Sept. 16. "The importance of the days concerns our recognition that we're another year older and our understanding that maturity is growth spiritually as well as emotionally," Rabbi Jonathan Biatch said.

Is your church or place of worship planning a special event? If so, send the typed information at least two weeks before the event to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, attention: Lindsay Sandham, News Assistant; fax to (949) 646-4170; or send e-mail to o7lindsay.sandham@latimes.comf7. SPECIAL EVENTS THE POWER OF DECISION The Power of Decision, an eight-week Science of Mind class designed to give participants a clearer understanding of the decision-making process and how to take control of their lives, is scheduled to begin Tuesday at the Center for Spiritual Discovery, 2850 East Mesa Verde Drive, Costa Mesa.

The most significant of the Jewish Holy Days are approaching. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are cause for both rejoicing and repentance. Many will gather at Temple Sinai of Glendale for the traditional cycle of services that include familiar sounds of worship, music and the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn). Rosh Hashanah services for the Jewish New Year 5767 will be held on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. There is also a family service for those with younger children on Sept.

Marshall Allen GLENDALE -- This year's celebration of the Jewish High Holy Days services will be special for Congregation Hugat Haverim of Glendale. The nearly two-year old congregation just purchased its own Torah. Acquiring its own Torah so quickly speaks to the group's generosity, said Judy Schlengel, who researched the purchase of the precious book. Hugat Haverim's Torah is handwritten on animal skin parchment rolled into a scroll -- made as Torah's have been made for thousands of years, Schlengel said.

Buck Wargo GLENDALE -- The High Holy Days, the most sacred days of the Jewish year, will be celebrated in area synagogues, starting at sundown tonight. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5761, will be celebrated in services tonight and Saturday morning. It begins the Ten Days of Penitence that ends on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which will be observed after sundown Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. Temple Sinai of Glendale, the area's oldest Reform Jewish synagogue, will offer Rosh Hashanah services starting at 8 p.m. tonight, 1212 N. Pacific Ave. A one-hour children's service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday to be followed by the regular service at 10 a.m. Congregation Hugat Haverim will have services at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, 301 N. Orange Grove, at 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.

As Jews around the globe end a 48-hour Rosh Hashanah celebration today, ringing in the new year 5766, Muslims worldwide begin a monthlong journey of fasting and prayer for the holy month of Ramadan. "It's one of the most sacred Jewish holidays," said Judith Harris, who attended Rosh Hashanah services at Glendale's Temple Sinai Tuesday morning. "It's a very important holiday and I'm a very spiritual, religious person, and the holidays are important to me."

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- The celebration of the High Holy Days comes to an end Monday with Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, starts at sundown Sunday. Temple Sinai, 1212 N. Pacific Ave., will hold a Kol Nidre service at 8 p.m. Sunday. More services are planned on Monday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A children's service will be held at 2 p.m. Congregation Hugat Haverim will have services at 8 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday at Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, 301 N. Orange Grove.

La Cañada Presbyterian’s organist/pianist Kemp Smeal invites the community to a performance at 4 p.m. on Sept 30 at Glendale City Church, at 610 E. California Ave. in Glendale. The performance is part of the inaugural recital of the church’s new IV manual, 150 ranks Colby/Harrah organ. For more information, call (818) 244-7241.   St. George’s Episcopal Church presents a concert to benefit the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity at 3 p.m. on Sept.

The percentage of new clergy younger than 35, across mainline denominations, including Protestant and Roman Catholic, is reportedly dropping, according to a recent study by the Lewis Center for Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary. Are you seeing a drop in your faith? If so, what do you think is driving it? Are you concerned?   The dilemma of an aging clergy is symptomatic of a general aging of church and synagogue members. Seats vacated by the older generation are now left empty instead of being filled by youth.

GLENDALE — As the sun sets Friday evening, many members of the Jewish community will be gathering with friends and family to celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah — the beginning of the Jewish year, and a time for reflection on actions in the past and creation of positive resolutions for the future. The actual holiday occurs on Saturday, but celebration begins Friday evening as the traditional Jewish day begins at sundown. "It's a time when we as human beings rejuvenate ourselves and plan a better life," said Rabbi Simcha Backman of the Chabad Jewish Center.

The most significant of the Jewish Holy Days are approaching. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are cause for both rejoicing and repentance. Many will gather at Temple Sinai of Glendale for the traditional cycle of services that include familiar sounds of worship, music and the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn). Rosh Hashanah services for the Jewish New Year 5767 will be held on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. There is also a family service for those with younger children on Sept.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m., Temple Sinai of Glendale will present its annual Selichot study session and service. This year's program is extremely unique as the Temple is pleased to welcome special guest Jeremy Kagan, director of the highly acclaimed film "The Chosen." Kagan will screen the 1981 film, lead a discussion and share stories about the making of the film, during which he went undercover into the Hassidic Jewish community for research. He will also discuss the film's deeper issues such as Judaism in the modern world and relations to the state of Israel.

Rabbi Rick Schechter will be officially installed as Temple Sinai of Glendale's religious leader on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the temple, 1212 N. Pacific Ave., Glendale. Rabbi Schechter began his tenure at Temple Sinai this August, after serving for four years at Congregation Beth Knesset Bamidbar in Lancaster, and, prior to that, at Temple Shalom in Dallas, Texas. Rabbi Schechter has established himself within the community in these last few months, having led the congregation through its High Holy Day worship for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

As Jews around the globe end a 48-hour Rosh Hashanah celebration today, ringing in the new year 5766, Muslims worldwide begin a monthlong journey of fasting and prayer for the holy month of Ramadan. "It's one of the most sacred Jewish holidays," said Judith Harris, who attended Rosh Hashanah services at Glendale's Temple Sinai Tuesday morning. "It's a very important holiday and I'm a very spiritual, religious person, and the holidays are important to me."

Is your church or place of worship planning a special event? If so, send the typed information at least two weeks before the event to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, attention: Lindsay Sandham, News Assistant; fax to (949) 646-4170; or send e-mail to o7lindsay.sandham@latimes.comf7. SPECIAL EVENTS THE POWER OF DECISION The Power of Decision, an eight-week Science of Mind class designed to give participants a clearer understanding of the decision-making process and how to take control of their lives, is scheduled to begin Tuesday at the Center for Spiritual Discovery, 2850 East Mesa Verde Drive, Costa Mesa.

Janine Marnien The traditional time for Jews to reflect and experience spiritual renewal begins tonight with the blowing of the ram's horn, or shofar. The sound is the beginning of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, and is a time to seek atonement. "Having a specific time set aside for this gives the person a sense of regularity," said Rabbi Jonathan Biatch of Glendale's Temple Sinai. "They know at a certain point to join together with their community and seek atonement."

Karen S. Kim Temple Sinai of Glendale is getting ready to bring in the new year as the High Holy Days quickly approach. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5763, will be celebrated Sept. 7, and Yom Kippur, a day of quiet reflection and repentance, will be observed Sept. 16. "The importance of the days concerns our recognition that we're another year older and our understanding that maturity is growth spiritually as well as emotionally," Rabbi Jonathan Biatch said.