The High Holy Days Experience 5782 Returns Live and In Person

Charlotte Jewish News August 2021

By Peter Levinson

The High Holy Days Experience is back for 5782! The High Holy Days Experience is a fresh, unique take on High Holiday services, filled with new Jewish music interlaced with traditional prayer to create services that are meaningful, understandable, and enjoyable. After being virtual last year because of the pandemic, the modern services, built on Jewish tradition, will be live and in person again this year.

The High Holydays Experience has changed how many people connect and relate to the traditional liturgy. Ellen Martin, who attended The Kol Nidre Experience in 2019, said, “I never enjoyed the Kol Nidre service because I found it negative, which is a problem for me because I believe that people are innately good. I felt uplifted rather than weighed down. This experience fed my soul.”

Those who haven’t attended The High Holy Days Experience before may hold a mistaken belief that they are simply concerts. However, The Experience contains all the essential prayers and elements of traditional High Holidays Days services, including reading from the Torah. Rabbi Rachel Smookler adds to the deeply spiritual nature of the experience with her powerful and inspirational messages. It’s tradition, but delivered in a creative way, creating an experience that is both inclusive and accessible.

This year, The Ruach will be joined by many notable musicians from the Charlotte area. Marissa Brooks, Stephanie DiPaolo, and Emily Chatham will sing with the band. Emily, a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, will also be playing violin, including accompanying Nancy Good, The Ruach’s lead singer, for Avinu Malkeinu. Mark Boyd, a vocalist whose rich, deep voice

is well-known in the Charlotte area, will be singing the traditional Kol Nidre. A more contemporary version of the song by Max Bruch will be played by two more members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra: Jeremy Lamb on cello and Annie Brooks on piano. And of course, The Ruach will play a third version of Kol Nidre that was written by Peter Levinson, The Ruach’s co-founder and lead guitarist.

The High Holy Days Experience 5782: Rosh Hashanah gets underway Tuesday, September 7 at 10 a.m. in the Dale Halton Theater on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College. The High Holy Days Experience 5782: Kol Nidre will be on Wednesday, September 15 at 7 p.m. As of the time of this writing, the location for Kol Nidre has not been confirmed. To make sure that you know where it will be held, be sure to follow The Ruach on Facebook (www.facebook.com/theruachband) or send an email to the.ruach.band@ gmail.com and request to be added to The Ruach’s email list.

The High Holy Days Experience is open to all — there is no cost, membership, or commitment to attend. Come as you are. There is no dress code. It is requested that if you are not vaccinated, you consider wearing a mask. Locations will be fully accessible.

The Ruach is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to spread the joy of Judaism and all it has to offer through modern Jewish music. The Ruach is supported by donations and a small grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.