High Holy Days

Please use this form to register for 2023/5784 High Holy Day services.

Our services will be led by our spiritual leader, Rabbi Cynthia Minster. She will again be joined on the bimah by Cantor Star Trompeter.

Our Early Childhood Services will be led by Melita Silberstein. Our Youth Services will be led by our School Director, Dr. Jenn Levine. See our schedule below and bios about each of these service leaders.

There is no charge for attending Temple Israel of Alameda services. We welcome your participation in person or online.

Our services are streamlined. We use the Mishkan HaNefesh machzorim (prayer books).

Submissions are open for the 2023 Book of Remembrance. If you would like to include names from the 2022 book, you will not have to resubmit the names.

High Holy Day Leaders

Rabbi Cynthia Minster

Rabbi Minster earned a BA in Peace & Justice Studies from Wellesley College (2000), and an MA in Rabbinical Studies from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California, where she was also ordained (2022). Her thesis title was “Internal Growth, Human Relationships, and Reaching Towards God: The Concurrent Development of Ethics & Mysticism in Early Modern Jewish Texts.” Her work breaks new ground in explaining how mysticism forms the philosophical basis for the development of ethics. This exploration creates a clear basis for a modern, progressive approach to Judaism.

Cantor Star Trompetor, Soloist

Cantor Star A. Trompeter was ordained as a Cantor in 2010 from HUC–JIR, New York, Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.  She also received her Master of Sacred Music from HUC–JIR, her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and her Bachelor of Arts in Music and French Language and Literature from the University of Virginia. She has served as the Cantor at Temple Israel in Columbus, OH, as the Senior Cantor at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, NY, and she most recently served as Senior Cantor for Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, TX. Cantor Trompeter is very excited to be joining the Temple Israel of Alameda community for High Holy Days this coming season.

Dr. Jenn Levine, Ed.D., School Director of Temple Israel's Religious School

Dr. Jenn has been a Jewish Educator for 20 years. She began her career in family education in Ann Arbor, MI. She moved with her family to California in 2008 and continued working in Jewish education focusing on Hebrew, and Judaics from grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. Ms. Jenn, as she is also known, has been one of our Hebrew teachers for the last 8 years. For the last 5 years, her children Jacob and/or Miriam Levine joined her on Thursdays to teach Hebrew. She is passionate about Jewish education and creates an inclusive, engaging, and unconventional classroom environment for her students.

Melita Silberstein, Early Childhood Service Leader

Melita Silberstein is a singer/songwriter, folk musician, children’s performer, and ceremonial song leader based out of Berkeley, CA. She is the founding member of Octopretzel, a popular Bay Area band for kids, and has also recorded and/or co-produced a number of CDs in the realms of both singer-songwriter contemporary folk as well as children’s music.

TASHLICH

Saturday, September 16th - Meet in front of the temple at 3:00 pm. Together, we'll walk to the trail along the nearby lagoon. This short service will begin after the conclusion of the youth service in the sanctuary, which begins at 2 pm.

Small bags of birdseed will be given to you at the site and a service program. 

If you are unable to join us, you are encouraged to have your own service at a time and body of water of your choosing.  

PARKING

Parking is free in the lot in front of the temple. Give yourself extra time to park and stop by our welcome table. Parking passes will be sent to Temple Israel members.