We invite you to join us for the High Holidays...but there are a few things you should know about us first.

We invite you to join us for the High Holidays.

...but there are a few things you should know about us first.

We decided to write a different kind of High Holidays letter this year because it’s been brought to our attention there may be a few misconceptions about The Shul that ought to be addressed.

Yes, the Rabbis have beards.

No, their wives do not.

They wear lots of black. On the odd occasion, our Rabbis have been mistaken for that guy from ZZ Top. The good looking one.

Services don’t last all day.

Sermons are funny. And if Rabbi Shmaya does his job right, meaningful. You’ll be thinking about them after the services. This may lead to a lively conversation. Or even a spirited debate. Imagine that.

Services are spoken in English and Hebrew.

You won’t have any trouble following along.

You don’t need to belong to our synagogue to get a good seat.

Sure, we’d love to have you as a member, but membership is never required to attend our programs or services. Ever.

Rabbi Avremi runs our kid’s programs, and Rabbi Mendy runs our teen programs. Young folks are welcome. The more the better. The Rabbis have a few of their own at home. Okay, more than a few. You’ll have to come to find out how many.

Ninety-five percent of the people you’ll meet here don’t call themselves Orthodox. There are Jews of every color and stripe. In fact, we bet you’ll run into a lot of familiar faces while you’re here. (Don’t worry. What happens at Chabad, stays at Chabad.)

The Shul is a friendly congregation. If you’re new, be prepared. Someone will make you feel welcome.

There are people that come to pray. There are people come to kibitz. And to make new friends.

If you’re here simply for some alone time, we’re good with that.

Now that you know a little bit about us, you may find yourself asking, “What do you actually believe?”

Good question. We ask it of ourselves often.

We don’t have all the answers, but we do have some. So here’s a start.

We believe the world is a good place and that light dispels darkness. We believe that Judaism should bring people together, not keep them apart. Our differences are opportunities for learning and growth.

We believe that helping to bring out the best in others leads to bringing out the best in ourselves.

We believe in acts of kindness and maintaining a healthy sense of humor.
Laughter is a good thing. So is smiling. You’ll see a lot of smiles here at The Shul. So smile freely. We’re big on the whole joy thing.

If you’d like to experience something a bit different this year, visit www.shulcenter.org/highholidays, or call Angie at 414-228-8000x212 and we’ll save you some seats. Free.

And as always, our pleasure.

We look forward to spending the High Holidays with you and your family.

The Shul