As we prepare to welcome the Jewish year 5786, we invite you to explore this year’s schedule of High Holy Day gatherings and programs offered through the Tahoe Jewish Community (TJC)—a collaborative effort of North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation (NTHC) and Temple Bat Yam (TBY). Together, we serve the Jewish and Jewishly-adjacent communities across the Lake Tahoe Basin, including Truckee, Carson City, and surrounding areas.
Each congregation is home to its own vibrant, membership-based synagogue community, complete with beautiful sanctuaries, engaging religious schools, spirited Shabbat gatherings, and rich holiday celebrations. Through the TJC, NTHC and TBY combine resources and creativity to offer meaningful, inclusive, and innovative Jewish experiences.
Below, you’ll find a detailed schedule of our High Holy Day Gatherings—featuring both beloved traditions in our sanctuary spaces and new opportunities to reflect, learn, and connect in fresh and creative ways.
No tickets are required for any of our High Holy Day services or programs. However, we kindly ask that you RSVP through the calendar links for any events you plan to attend. This helps us prepare thoughtfully and ensure a welcoming experience for all. If you forget to RSVP, you are still of course welcome to attend.
Unless otherwise noted, all events will take place at one of our two TJC locations:
📍 North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation — 7000 Latone Ave, Tahoe Vista, CA
📍 Temple Bat Yam — 3260 Pioneer Trail, South Lake Tahoe, CA
If you have any questions about the High Holy Day gatherings in Tahoe, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help you feel at home in our Gem of Creation for the holidays.
High Holy Day Gatherings for Rosh Hashanah
Monday September 22, 2025 Erev Rosh Hashanah
5:00 pm Young Family Erev Rosh Hashanah Experience at Sand Harbor
This event is made to help our younger generations engage in fun and meaningful ways. There will be special activities and songs.
6:00 pm Erev Rosh Hashanah Ma’ariv – Evening Service at Sand Harbor
This unique outdoor gathering offers a chance to welcome the New Year with prayer, reflection, and song, all while overlooking the water as the sky begins to shift. Expect a warm and inclusive atmosphere, rooted in tradition and the beauty of nature. Please wear layers—the temperatures cool off significantly as the sun goes down. Following the service, we’ll share a community potluck.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 1st Day Rosh Hashanah
10:00 am – Rosh Hashanah Brunch w/ Congregation
Join us at either North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation on the North Shore or Temple Bat Yam on the South Shore for a fully catered brunch before engaging in the day of festivities to take place at each temple. You are more than welcome to bring additional dishes (dairy only) to share.
11:00 am – Tashlich
At both our North and South Shore locations, we’ll gather at the lake for this meaningful moment:
- North Shore, Tahoe Vista Beach: Tashlich will take place at the lake just a short walk from the temple. After brunch, we’ll walk together to the water’s edge for this reflective experience.
- South Shore, Timber Cove Beach/Marina: We’ll carpool to the lake following our Rosh Hashanah brunch.
All are welcome—wear comfortable shoes and dress for being outdoors. Tahoe weather can be warm during the days, or cool and breezy. Layers are always a good idea during the fall.
This is a family-friendly ritual that invites quiet reflection, connection, and intention-setting for the year ahead.
12:30 pm – Rosh Hashanah Service including Torah Reading & Shofar Service
Join us at North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation (NTHC) and Temple Bat Yam (TBY) for our Rosh Hashanah morning service. The service includes heartfelt prayer, inspiring teachings, the Torah reading, and the powerful Shofar service, a highlight of the day that awakens the soul and calls us to return to our best selves.
Expect a warm, welcoming community and a service that blends Hebrew and English, traditional melodies and contemporary insights. Whether you’re a regular attendee or visiting for the holidays, all are invited to participate at their own comfort level.
3:00 pm – Rosh Hashanah Creation Workshop
This unique hands-on workshop invites participants of all ages to explore the themes of Rosh Hashanah through creative modalities: music, visual art, and drama.
Rather than a traditional service, this experience offers space to reflect on the meaning of the New Year, the power of renewal, and our own ability to create and express. Through guided activities, you’ll deepen your understanding of the holiday and have the opportunity to respond with your own creative voice.
No prior art experience or Jewish knowledge is needed—just bring your curiosity, openness, and willingness to engage. This is a welcoming, interactive space designed to spark inspiration and connection for individuals, families, and community members of all ages.
4:15 pm – Rosh Hashanah Youth & Children’s Celebration
This joyful, interactive service is designed especially for children and families, offering age-appropriate ways to connect with the meaning and spirit of Rosh Hashanah. Through stories, songs, movement, and hands-on activities, we’ll explore the themes of the New Year—renewal, kindness, and starting fresh—in ways that are fun, engaging, and meaningful for our younger generation.
Our goal is to help children feel the power and beauty of this sacred time while building a sense of belonging and connection to Jewish tradition. Parents, grandparents, and caregivers are warmly encouraged to join in and celebrate alongside their kids in this inclusive, welcoming space.
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 2nd Day Rosh Hashanah @ Spooner Lake State Park
9:00 am – Spiritual Hike @ Spooner Lake State Park
Celebrate the second day of Rosh Hashanah with a guided spiritual hike at Spooner Lake State Park—a peaceful 2.5-mile loop with minimal elevation change and some uneven surfaces, perfect for all ages and fitness levels.
As we walk together through the beauty of the forest and along the lakeshore, we’ll pause for moments of reflection, prayer, and gentle conversation centered on the themes of the New Year. This is a meaningful way to mark the holiday through movement, nature, and community.
Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring water, and dress in layers.
11:00 am – Rosh Hashanah 2nd Day Creative Service Outdoors @ Spooner Lake State Park
Through music, poetry, prayer, and reflection, we’ll explore the themes of the New Year surrounded by the beauty of the forest and lake.
This service is accessible and welcoming to all ages and backgrounds. It’s a chance to connect deeply with the holiday in a nontraditional setting that honors both community and creation.
Please bring a folding chair for your comfort—there are also picnic tables available. After the service, we’ll share a community potluck—please bring a dairy or parve dish to contribute. Come dressed in layers and ready to be nourished by nature, spirit, and good company.
Friday, September 26, 2025: Shabbat Shuvah @ Spooner Lake State Park
6:00 pm – Join us for an innovative outdoor Shabbat Shuvah—the Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—set in the natural beauty of Tahoe. This special gathering marks the first Shabbat of the New Year and invites us to pause during the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) for reflection, inspiration, and connection.
Together, we’ll explore the possibilities of this sacred season and draw strength from community and creation.
Dress in layers, bring a chair or blanket, and come with an open heart to welcome the gifts of Shabbat in this powerful moment of the year.
High Holy Day Gatherings for Yom Yippur
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – Erev Yom Kippur
7:00 pm – Kol Nidre, Erev Yom Kippur Service.
For many, this service represents the pinnacle of the High Holy Day season. Held at both North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation (NTHC) and Temple Bat Yam (TBY), it opens Yom Kippur with the traditional Kol Nidre prayer (piyyut) and its haunting melody.
This year, our TJC congregations will not only embrace the customary liturgy and prayers but also engage in Torah learning and small-group study, thoughtfully woven into the service itself.
We are deeply grateful to our dedicated TJC High Holy Day work group, whose careful planning has shaped this year’s program and will guide us through meaningful study sessions that enrich both our experience of the day and our connections with one another.
As always, we invite you to wear whatever feels most comfortable, though of all our services, this one is the most formal occasion.
Thursday, October 2, 2025 – Yom Kippur
9:00 am – Yom Kippur Mussar Yoga
This 90-minute practice will offer a unique opportunity to connect Jewish values (middot) with your yoga practice during this sacred season. Held in the serene sanctuary spaces or outdoors on our temple grounds—weather permitting—you’ll be guided through mindful movement designed to deepen your spiritual reflection and embodiment.
Whether you are a seasoned yogi or new to the practice, this gentle yoga session invites you to explore the themes of Yom Kippur through breath, movement, and intention in a welcoming and sacred setting. This moment is designed to be accessible for those who are fasting.
11:00 am – Yom Kippur Morning Service
Join us for a reflective and inspiring Yom Kippur Morning Service at both North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation (NTHC) and Temple Bat Yam (TBY). This service offers a meaningful opportunity to engage deeply with the themes of the day through traditional prayers, Torah readings, and communal reflection.
Experience the solemnity and hope of Yom Kippur as we come together to seek renewal and forgiveness in community.
1:00 pm – Yom Kippur Healing Service
This gentle and contemplative service offers a space for healing, reflection, and renewal on Yom Kippur. Through prayer, meditation, and moments of silence, we create an environment to nurture emotional and spiritual well-being.
Whether you are seeking comfort, connection, or a moment of peace, this service invites you to find solace within yourself and the community.
1:30 pm – Yom Kippur Yizkor Service (Memorial Service)
The Yizkor service will include a communal memorial prayer with the traditional reading of names. A memorial list will be available at the temple for you to add names of loved ones you wish to remember.
You can also add names for either congregation online here
3:00 pm – Yom Kippur Afternoon
More Details for this service will be updated soon.
4:15 pm – Yom Kippur Youth & Children’s Celebration
More Details for this service will be updated soon
5:30 pm – Yom Kippur Neilah/Concluding Service, Havdalah, and Break Fast
Join us outdoors to mark the closing of the High Holy Days. This will include the Neilah service, Havdalah ceremony, and a communal break the fast.
The North Shore gathering will be at Tahoe Vista Beach—you can park at the temple and enjoy a short walk down to the beach. The South Shore event takes place at Regan Beach.
Please dress in layers, as temperatures often drop after sunset. Everyone is encouraged to bring food to share for the break the fast.
This special time together offers a meaningful moment of community, reflection, and closure as the sacred season concludes.
