- (207) 879 - 0028
- admin@bethaam.org
- 81 Westbrook Street South Portland, ME 04106
High Holy Days
All are Welcome!
Since its founding in 1985, Bet Ha’am has been committed to being a house of worship where everyone feels welcome. We invite you to join us for any Bet Ha’am service or event, including our High Holy Day worship. Whether you are Jewish or not, a lifelong Mainer or a guest “from away,” we hope you will be part of this time of community celebration.
This year, non-member family units will be asked to contribute a flat fee of $150, which covers attendance at one or all services.
Important notes for all attendees:
Members: Please bring your name tag and a photo ID to every service. You will not be admitted without a photo ID.
Non-members: Registration is required, either by calling the office or through the registration link (currently being finalized). Once registered, you will receive an emailed ticket to present at each service. Non-members must also bring a photo ID.
Non-members will have the option to register in person on the day of services, but we strongly encourage advance registration to help the days run smoothly. To register in advance, please click Here.
If the $150 fee presents a financial hardship, please contact the office at (207) 879-0028 to speak confidentially with the Rabbi or Marcella Bobinsky, our synagogue President. The fee applies per family unit for all desired services.
Please note: Out-of-town family members who are current members of their home congregations may have this fee waived. To arrange this, please call the office at (207) 879-0028 and ask for Jeremy or Teri.
For our full High Holy Day Schedule please click here High_Holy_Days_Info
As we approach Selichot, please enjoy the following two study pieces written by one of our long-time members, Jane Sloven:
Preparation for the High Holy Days
Selichot - What We are Doing Here from a Mystical Perspective?
Please note that there will not be a Selichot service at Bet Ha'am this year. Please consider joining Rabbi Saks and his family at Temple Beth El in Portland, ME for their service which starts at 7:45pm. Click Here for the JCA High Holy Day Hub to find out where in our community there will be a Selichot service.
For those wishing to enjoy a contemplative style service featuring readings, music, and meditation, a pre-recorded service co-led by congregants Jane Sloven and Sharon Newman will be available to watch at your convenience by clicking here.
Each year, we offer services to mark the start of the Jewish New Year: An evening service for the start of the holiday(Monday, September 22, 2025), then a family and a traditional service on Rosh Hashanah day(Tuesday, September 23, 2025).
This solemn day begins with Kol Nidre(Wednesday, October 1, 2025). We hold both a family and traditional service in the morning, and continue our worship in the afternoon with a service for meditation and healing, study sessions, Yizkor, and Neilah. We break-the-fast with a community potluck(Thursday, October 2, 2025).
We celebrate this fall festival,Monday, October 6, 2025, in our the congregation’s sukkah (temporary shelter), which is decorated by the religious school children. Our sukkah will be available on a drop-in basis. Fulfill the mitzvah of eating something larger than an olive in a sukkah and bring a biodegradable decoration to share.
Erev Simchat Torah and Consecration take place a week after Sukkot(Monday, October 13, 2025). For the Simchat Torah service, we read the end of the Torah and the beginning, then dance to the music of the Casco Bay Tummlers. At the end of the evening, children who are new to the religious school are blessed for the start of their religious education.
Support Bet Ha’am’s Annual Food Drive! We are sponsoring our annual food drive by donations of cash rather than donations of food. While we are sad not to collect actual food, writing a check for the amount you would have spent on food donations maximizes the impact of your gift: For the same amount of money, agencies can buy up to eight times the amount of food you can purchase by yourself.
Please donate online or make your checks payable to Bet Ha’am and write "food drive" on the memo line. We will divide the donations evenly between these organizations:
- Family Promise
- South Portland Food Cupboard
- Jewish Family Services Pantry
- MAZON: The Jewish Response to Hunger
Your High Holiday Food Donation:
Every year, during the High Holidays, Bet Ha’am collects food for people experiencing food insecurity. This year we would like to focus our efforts on helping one particular local agency: Greater Portland Family Promise. You probably know that Bet Ha’am has been working with this organization for several years with many of our volunteers directly involved.
On a monthly basis Family Promise staff and volunteers procure, pack and deliver much-needed food that supplements what the families receive through essential food programs. The grants that Family Promise received for this purpose are running out, and several new applications for continued funding have already been rejected. Consequently, our support is essential in allowing this program to continue.
Food assistance provided by Family Promise is likely to become even more important to these families in the future as federal, state and local government programs are being cut and eligibility criteria are becoming increasingly restrictive.
Please consider allocating your High Holiday food donation to go to Greater Portland Family Promise. In the High Holiday mailing you will find a blue envelope for your donation; more will be available in the Synagogue lobby during the Holiday period. If you decide to support Family Promise, please make your check payable to Greater Portland Family Promise with a note in the memo section, “BH Food Drive” and return your envelope to Bet Ha'am.