About Honors and Rituals
Some women take on the practice of wearing a tallit at services when they pray. If you wear a tallit at services, of course you should wear your tallit for your aliyah. If you don’t normally wear a tallit during services, you can choose to put one on prior to coming up for your aliyah. Be sure to say the blessing! Otherwise, if you’re more comfortable not wearing one, you can use the fringe of someone else’s tallit, or the Torah binder, or a prayer book to kiss the Torah.
The Religious committee is not sending out letters notifying people that they have been assigned honors for the holidays. We have personally invited those whose honors require prior preparation (such as chanting the Haftarah) . For the other aliyot, ark openings, and prayers for the government and Israel, and other English readings, we invite you to tell us how you’d like to participate.
If having an aliyah or other honor this year at one of our services would be particularly meaningful to you, please introduce yourself to one of the ushers when you arrive at services on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. If there is an honor that has not been assigned yet, it’s yours. The ushers will do their best to accommodate your request.
An usher may also invite you to go to the bimah to open the ark during services. When you do, be sure to bring your machzor prayerbook with you so that you can follow along . The rabbi will announce when the ark is opened. That’s your cue. After the Rabbi cues you to close the ark, please return to your seat.
When you sign up for an honor, you agree to (1) introduce yourself to an usher when you arrive so they know you are there, and (2) to be in your seat at the time during the service when your honor takes place.
