Wonderful, warm, and meaningful High Holiday services were held with Tidewater Chavurah and Congregation Beth Chaverim in the Parrish Hall at Old Donation Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach. Combing the best of both Reform congregations resulted in inspiring services to welcome 5780.
Holding the services together was a large commitment for both congregations and took place due to the efforts of the congregations’ presidents, Bill Feldman of Tidewater Chavurah and Chad Bornstein of Congregation Beth Chaverim, as well as many others. Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill and Jim Hibberd, soloist and guitarist, and the joint choir planned and led the services. Many congregants and leaders sang, chanted, and “schlepped” the necessary items to transform a multipurpose room into a sacred worship space.
A pot luck luncheon organized by Tidewater Chavurah and with contributions of both congregations followed Rosh Hashanah services. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, a Break-the-Fast prepared by Congregation Beth Chaverim, was an awesome conclusion to the “Days of Awe.”
Betsy Blank