Event—Adult Education

High Holiday Liturgy: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

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Explore the themes of forgiveness, return, accountability, and creation in this deep study of the Jewish High Holidays.

Page from the Talmud Bavli (Talmud Babylon), 1644-1647. Source: The Newberry Library, Special Collections, Case folio BM499 1644

Class Description

The High Holidays—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—invite us into a sacred season of reflection, return, and renewal within the Jewish tradition. In this three-part course, we’ll engage with the central themes of their liturgy as gateways for personal insight and spiritual growth.

These timeless themes invite deep transformation: forgiveness, a radical opening of the heart; return, a call to come back to our truest selves; accountability, courageously facing our actions; and creation, the sacred opportunity to renew and reimagine our lives and the world. Together, these create a container for healing, growth, and renewal—guiding us toward greater awareness and meaning.

We will explore the structure of the prayers and dive into their powerful meanings through interactive text study, discussion, and personal reflection. This course supports spiritual preparation for the profound portal of awakening that this season offers.

Open to all faiths and backgrounds—no experience with Jewish prayer or Hebrew is needed. Come as you are to prepare your heart for this sacred time.

Hadar Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic, and artist whose work focuses on multi-religious spirituality, politics, social issues, and community building. She is the founder of Malchut, a spiritual skill-building school teaching Jewish mysticism and direct experience of God.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

What to Expect

Format: Virtual

Class Capacity: 30

Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged

Materials List

  • Instructor-Distributed Materials

Cost and Registration

3 Sessions, $135 ($121.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($135), Community Supported ($125), and Sponsor ($145). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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