Slichot is a prayer service composed of various psalms and poems said each night leading up to Rosh Hashanah. Unlike all other prayer services we have, Slichot has no fixed liturgy; it is an inspirational and aspirational way to begin the High Holiday season. The words of the individual psalms and poems are fixed, but the choice of which to include in the liturgy, in each service, is unique, depending on the day, the year, and the community. It is symbolic of how we should approach teshuvah (repentance) every year.

This year, our Slichot program will be held on Saturday, September 21, at 8:00pm. As part of our program, we will view and discuss the film The Fisher King (1991), starring Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams. Join us as we consider our ideas about the consequences of actions, both large and small, and explore how we can approach doing teshuvah. The Slichot service will follow the film and discussion at approximately 11:00pm.

Shock radio DJ Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) sinks into a three-year depression after a listener takes one of his on-air rants to heart and goes to a fancy restaurant with a gun, murdering innocent diners. Hitting bottom, Jack slumps to the river, prepared to commit suicide. To his rescue comes a crazed but witty homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), who tells Jack he's destined for great things -- all he has to do is find the Holy Grail (conveniently located in mid-town Manhattan) and save Parry's soul. He also wants Jack to help him out with the woman of his dreams, Lydia Sinclair (Amanda Plummer), a shy type who works at a publishing company. Parry was once a university professor, but became unglued by a tragic event in his past. Jack soon realizes that to save himself, he first must save Parry.