Are you new in Miami? A tourist? Visiting the Keys? Where you can go on the High Holidays

For the first time, Joy Zamzelig will observe the Jewish High Holidays on her own.

Zamzelig, 21, a psychology junior at the University of Miami, won’t spend Rosh Hashana making meals or baking honey cake with her mother in Los Angeles. She also won’t spend Yom Kippur playing backgammon and Rummikub with her parents and two siblings.

“I know that this is important for me, it’s important for my family and sort of keeps me connected to them in a way,” Zamzelig said. “I’m observing here and they’re observing where they are, [but] at the same time, it gives us this notion that Judaism still binds us no matter what.”

The High Holidays are a time of prayer and reflection for Jews around the world. The holiday period begins with Rosh Hashana, a two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year that begins Sunday evening at sunset.

The holiday marks the start of a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that ends with Yom Kippur, which is observed by a full fast and intensive prayer. This year, Yom Kippur, the sacred Day of Atonement, will begin the evening of Oct. 4.

During this important time, Jews in the Miami area — whether longtime residents, newcomers, tourists or students away from home — may crave a place to gather with others. Here’s a guide to navigating the High Holidays in South Florida.

At UM, students celebrate on campus

Joy Zamzelig, who lives in Aventura, plans to spend the first night of Rosh Hashana with family friends who just moved to South Florida. The second night, she will attend services at University of Miami Hillel, a campus Jewish organization.

With most students coming from outside of Florida, UM Hillel is a nurturing environment for students who are far from their families, Rabbi Lyle Rothman said. Many students travel back home for the holidays, and those with grandparents in South Florida go celebrate with them.

“During the rest of the year, [Hillel] is a hub for innovation and Jewish growth and Jewish thought,” he said. “During the holidays, it’s also a home.”

The Braman Miller Center for Jewish Life, the Hillel building on campus, will offer programming for all types of students. A UM alum and student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York will join UM Hillel throughout the High Holidays, Rothman said.

Rothman said the services will not hew to specific branches of Judaism. The rabbi describes them as “pluralistic.”

Rosh Hashana festivities will begin Sunday with a 7 p.m. service and 8:30 p.m. dinner, Rothman said. Anyone interested in attending these events must reserve a space. On Monday, Hillel will host a 9:30 a.m. service and a DIY honey and apples activity afterward.

For Yom Kippur, UM Hillel will offer an evening service on Oct. 4, followed by morning and evening services on Monday, and a breaking of the fast. Observant Jews fast from sundown to sundown on Yom Kippur. More information is available on the UM Hillel Instagram page.

Zamzelig won’t be able to celebrate Yom Kippur at Hillel because she lives off campus. On the holiday, many Jews choose to forego driving and using technology. Instead, Zamzelig plans to walk to the synagogue near her apartment and uphold her family tradition of baking a honey cake.

“I‘m learning how to observe here, especially being away from family,” she said. “I take a lot of what they do and I implement that.”

Where to observe in Miami

There are still opportunities to find High Holiday services in the Miami area. You can choose in-person or online, with many synagogues offering both in this post-COVID world. Here are some options:

▪ Beth Or, a non-denominational synagogue at 11715 SW 87th Ave. in Palmetto Bay, is offering free virtual services. Call 305-235-1419 for more information. The synagogue’s calendar of events, including those for the High Holidays, can be found on its website.

▪ Young Jewish Professionals Miami is hosting Orthodox services, luncheons and dinners at The Rok Family Shul Chabad Downtown Jewish Center, 35 SE Ninth St. in downtown Miami. While reservations are required, the organization’s website states that no one will be turned away due to a lack of funds.

▪ Chabad Lubavitch of Sunny Isles Beach, an Orthodox synagogue at 17555 Atlantic Blvd., is offering free in-person services. Reserve seats on the synagogue’s website.

▪ Congregation Dor Chadash, a Reform and Conservative synagogue at 9560 SW 107th Ave., Suite 202 in Kendall, is offering free virtual services. Call 305-595-3838 or email roxana@dorchadashmiami.org for more information.

▪ Temple Beth Sholom, a Liberal Reform synagogue at 4144 Chase Ave. in Miami Beach, is offering free virtual services. The High Holiday programming will stream on the synagogue’s website, which also lists a calendar of events.

▪ Beit David Highland Lakes Shul, a traditional synagogue at 2600 NE 209th St. in Aventura, is offering free in-person services. Reserve a seat on the synagogue’s website, which also includes a calendar of High Holiday events.

For information on other synagogues and services, contact the Greater Miami Jewish Center at 305-576-4000.

Vacationing in the Keys? Where you can go

If you’re a tourist or a South Florida resident in the Keys for a weekend getaway, you can still celebrate the holidays in paradise:

▪ The Chabad Jewish Center of the Florida Keys, 906 Trinity Dr. in Key West, will host 7 p.m. prayers on Sunday. The synagogue will also have a Rosh Hashana dinner on Sunday, which requires a reservation. The synagogue will have a 9 a.m. prayer service on Monday and blow the shofar, the ram’s horn, at noon, which Rabbi Yaakov Zucker considers the main tradition of the holiday. Anyone seeking more information can visit the center’s website or contact the rabbi at 305-304-7713.

▪ And if you’re in the Upper Keys, the Keys Jewish Community Center, 93095 Overseas Highway in Tavernier, will host a 7:30 p.m. program on Sunday as well as 9:30 a.m. services on Monday and Tuesday. Reservations, masks and COVID vaccination proof are required. The center will also stream the event via Zoom. For more information, visit the center’s website or email president@keysjewishcenter.com.

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 1:22 PM.

Grethel Aguila

Miami Herald

Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.