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 9, at 8:30pm. As part of our program, we will view and discuss the film The Farewell Party (2014, Hebrew with English subtitles). Join us as we consider our ideas about life and death and explore how we can approach doing teshuvah. The Slichot service will follow the film and discussion at approximately 11:00pm.

The Farewell Party is a unique, compassionate and unlikely funny story of a group of friends at a Jerusalem retirement home who decide to help their terminally ill friend. When rumors of their assistance begin to spread, more and more people ask for their help, and the friends are faced with a life and death dilemma. An Israeli film in Hebrew with English subtitles. 1 hr 32 min.