We welcome students and other visitors to our synagogue, and we invite you to participate with us in our religious services. We hope this introduction will provide you with the information you need to understand, feel comfortable, and get the most from your visit.
We encourage those attending to observe the following guidelines:
1) Men (& boys): A skullcap (known as a yarmulke or kippah) is available for wear if desired during the services. A tallit (prayer shaw only worn by one who is Jewish) is used for morning prayers and all prayers of Yom Kippur.
2) Ladies: We are informal, but request that you dress modestly.
3) Please do not eat in the sanctuary.
4) Please turn off phones during the service.
5) Most of the service is in English and we try to keep people informed as to what page we are on, so you shouldn’t stay lost for long. Most passages in Hebrew have a translitteration and a translation on the same page or the next.
6) Try not to make noise or a disburbance when the Torah is being read or while we are saying the Amidah (“The Standing Prayer”).
7) If you bring food for an event, please observe the following out of respect for those who try to eat kosher:
a) Avoid bringing dishes containing meat.
b) If the food has meat, try to make it kosher (no pork or seafood, please!).
c) Avoid mixing meat with milk products.
A cheeseburger would violate item ‘c,’
A pepperoni pizza would violate ‘b’ and ‘c’!
Individuals have different convictions about these matters. If you don’t observe these guidelines, a verbal announcement or perhaps a note next to your dish would be appreciated.