Shabbat Services
We hope you will join us for Shabbat services on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month. Please note, we will not have Shabbat services in June or July as we take the time to complete some needed maintenance on our historic building. We will resume Shabbat services August 14-15.
Friday night services begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude by 7:30 p.m. followed by Oneg Shabbat refreshments. Saturday morning services begin at 10:00 a.m. and usually conclude around 11:30 a.m. followed by a Kiddish lunch and Torah study with the Rabbi. Our services reflect the congregation’s values of egalitarianism and inclusiveness, including accessibility for those who can’t worship in person.
For a complete list of services and events, please check our Calendar.
What to Expect at Shabbat Services
In order to make our services warm and welcoming and meaningful for you, we are providing this brief overview of our prayer service for Shabbat. Whether you are a member wishing to enhance your prayer service experience, a visitor here for a simcha, a celebration, or someone who simply wants to know more about First Congregation Sons of Israel, we hope this information will be of value.
Friday Evening
Friday evening Shabbat services are broken down into two parts: Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv.
Kabbalat Shabbat begins with reciting six different Psalms followed by singing L’khah Dodi and concludes with the reading of additional Psalms.
Maariv opens with the Bar’khu, call to prayer, followed by the Shema, the Amidah, and V’sham’ru. Before the concluding prayers, Aleinu, the Mourner’s Kaddish, and Adon Olom, the Rabbi talks about the Torah’s parshat, weekly portion and announcements are read. As the service concludes, we wish each other Shabbat Shalom and go into the social hall for Oneg Shabbat refreshments where we say Kiddush over a cup of wine and motzi over the challah.
Saturday Morning
Saturday morning Shabbat services are split into four parts: Pesukei D’Zimra, Shacharit, Torah Service and Musaf/Concluding Prayers.
Pesukei d’zimra is the introduction to the three main parts of the service. It includes reading of certain psalms and prayers.
Shacharit is the traditional morning service and includes both the Shema and the Amidah. The Shema is a declaration of faith, a pledge of allegiance to One G-d, an affirmation of Judaism. The Amidah is a moment of personal meditation.
The Torah service is central to Shabbat Morning services. First, the Torah is marched around the sanctuary while the congregation sings. Afterwards, the Torah scroll is brought back to the bemah and a brief summary is given by the Rabbi of the Torah’s parshat, weekly portion. Next, three to four congregants are given an aliyah (honor) by being called to the Torah. Afterwards, the Rabbi reads the Haftarot’s parshat before the Torah scroll is put back in the ark.
During the final part of the service, Musaf, a special Amidah is said followed by concluding prayers such as Aleinu, Ein Keloheinu, Mourner’s Kaddish, and Adon Olam. Announcements are read and we wish each other Shabbat Shalom and go into the social hall for a Kiddish lunch where we say Kiddush over a cup of wine and motzi over the challah.
Suggested Attire
We encourage attire that reflects the respectful spirit of our synagogue while also being comfortable.
Ladies: Dresses, skirts of an appropriate length, or nice slacks are all welcome. We ask that shorts and very short skirts not be worn.
Gentlemen: Slacks or khakis with a collared shirt or polo are all welcomed.
We ask that shorts, short skirts, ripped jeans, and T-shirts be avoided whenever possible.
Most importantly, we want everyone to feel welcome. If more casual clothing is all you have, please come—we're glad you're here.