Local synagogues in Wilmington prepare for Rosh Hashanah

September 5, 2021

Celeste Smith,

WILMINGTON, NC –Many local members of the Jewish community are preparing to celebrate an observance of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, starting tomorrow. One local synagogue is altering is traditional services for the holiday due to the pandemic.

The Temple of Israel in Wilmington is preparing for Rosh Hashanah that will take place on Monday at sundown through Wednesday. The Jewish new year holiday, will also kick off the Jewish High Holy days.

“This is one of our joyous holidays of the year, it’s a time for us to celebrate a sense of newness, a renewal, in many ways even a rebirth. We also call Rosh Hashanah the birthday of the world, and it’s and exciting time,” said Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov.

Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov with the Temple of Israel said with many concerns surrounding the spike in COVID-19 cases locally, the synagogue decided to hold its holiday services online via Facebook and Zoom, like they did last year when the pandemic began.

“Within Judaism the notion of ‘Pikuach Nefesh’, which means to save a life is the highest ideal. With the spread of the delta variant, we just can not take a risk of being in-person. Singing is a big of our tradition, and it’s one of the things we’re told we need to be careful to do,” said Rabbi Losben-Ostrov.

Rabbi Losben-Ostrov said her congregants have been adapted well to virtual services, glad to still worship with one another, especially during the holiday.

“It may be online, but we run our services both by Zoom and we Livestream them to Facebook, but when they’re on Zoom, when people join that way, we’re able to see one another, we’re able to communicate with one another, with regards to Facebook as well. People are able to leave comments, and so we feel that there is that interaction,” Losben-Ostrov.

The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur will follow 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, and Rabbi Losben said the Temple of Israel will continue to hold socially distanced services for the holiday, but will maintain their tradition of holding a food drive.