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Elul is the last month of the Jewish year, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish new year.  For many, it’s a time of reflection and repentance, a time to ask ourselves what have I done, and how have I done?  Each of us has our own ways of asking – we hope you’ll find something meaningful among the events we have to offer.

Journal Project
August 25-September 22
Daily journaling prompts for the 29 days of Elul.  Available in booklet-form at Beth Sholom Temple starting at the Open House on August 24 and HERE. 

Lishmoah Kol Shofar:
The Mitzvah of Hearing the Shofar
August 25-September 22
Begin each day of Elul hearing the sound of the shofar; available HERE.  Why do we blow the shofar? Click HERE to learn!

Selichot Potluck Dinner & Study Session
Saturday, September 13 
[6:00PM]

Meet in the Social Hall for a potluck dinner.  We will study Jewish texts about our responsibility to others, including Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Prayer for Peace from 1971:

O Lord, we confess our sins, we are ashamed of the inadequacy of our anguish, of how faint and slight is our mercy.  We are a generation that has lost its capacity for outrage.  We must continue to remind ourselves that in a free society all are involved in what some are doing.  Some are guilty, all are responsible.

[7:30PM]
Our Selichot service will be led by Rabbi Ronda Young, accompanied by Mary Fried, and Melanie Firestone.

Havdalah with Student Rabbi Julia Bennett
Saturday, September 20 
[7:00PM]

Challah Baking Class
Sunday, September 21
[9:00AM – 1:00PM]
Participants will learn how to turn simple ingredients into delicious holiday bread.  We’ll make round challahs – traditional for Rosh Hashanah – to serve at the Oneg following our Erev Rosh Hashanah service.  Sign-up required HERE.  Limited to 8 participants. 

Doing Justice:
Volunteer at the Rappahannock Education Farm
Sunday, September 21
[3:00PM – 5:00PM]
Weed, water, mulch, harvest, plant: join this all-volunteer effort to provide fresh produce to our local food bank and food pantries.  Advance sign-up is appreciated but not required HERE.  

All are welcome and registration is REQUIRED if you are planning on attending services in-person.

Click Here to Register

Call (540)373-4834 or email office@bstva.org with questions or for help with registration. 

Non-members are always welcome to join us for our High Holy Day services. In lieu of purchasing tickets, we ask that you please register in advance.

At Beth Sholom, we do not require tickets for the High Holy Days. Instead, it is customary to support the congregation with a donation that helps cover the preparation, coordination, and execution of these sacred observances.

We highly suggest a donation of $250 per person for all non-member attendees. This contribution makes a real difference in sustaining our community during this meaningful season. That said, no one will ever be turned away for financial reasons. Your presence with us during the Days of Awe is what matters most.

Please note: this donation is not expected from students, active-duty military, or members of other congregations attending under reciprocal privileges.

Board of Directors Meeting

3rd Monday of Every Month at 7:30PM

Erev Shabbat Service

Fridays at 7:30 PM

Family Service is the First Friday of Every Month at 7:00PM

Shabbat Service

Saturdays at 10:00 AM