Both synagogues in Malibu plan to address recent world events, including Sept. 11, in special services during Rosh Hashanah. Security will be stepped up at both synagogues.
By Alex Catanese/Special to The Malibu Times
The Jewish community in Malibu Saturday evening made preparations for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, with the Slichot ceremony, a ceremony of penitential prayers that are believed to invoke God’s mercy.
The Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue (MJCS) gathered Saturday at 9 p.m. on Westward Beach to begin their Slichot prayers. Chabad of Malibu, in addition to their Slichot preparations, has been sounding the Shofar, a ram’s horn, every day for the last month.
However, the more familiar beginning of Rosh Hashanah starts at sundown on Friday. This day, which marks the 5,763rd year in the Jewish calendar, begins an important 10-day period for Jews, culminating with Yom Kippur, the day of fasting and atonement.
Malibu’s two synagogues, Chabad of Malibu, established in 1994, and the 21-year-old MJCS, which, as the story goes, was started by a woman named Emily Lodmer in the kosher food section of Hughes Market, will make room for what will become an expanded Malibu Jewish community.
Chabad of Malibu, a traditional synagogue whose primary teachings are based on Jewish Mysticism, will double its size during this holiday period. The larger, membership-based MJCS, a Reconstructionist congregation, will host approximately 1,000 people each night, bringing out its famous tent to accommodate the crowd.
According to Rabbi Levi Cunin, founder of Chabad of Malibu, the meaning or purpose of this 10-day period, known as the “Ten Days of Repentance,” is to reconnect with oneself. During these 10 days, “the focus is on the true self and reflection,” says Cunin. “You connect and return to your true self. On Yom Kippur you atone for the year’s transgressions and fast, then reconnect for the New Year.”
According to Jewish tradition, this is the time when all of mankind is judged before God. On Yom Kippur, Jews observe a fast and attempt to serve God as if they were angels, not humans. Angels neither eat nor drink, but spend all their time in prayer. At this time, it is understood that the fate of each person is then decided for the coming year.
On Saturday, the MJCS will perform a Taschlich ceremony on Westward Beach at 3:30 p.m., which is open to the public. This ceremony symbolizes the casting off of sins of the previous year and will be expressed by throwing pieces of bread into the ocean.
Both Chabad of Malibu and the MJCS will also be addressing the ongoing violence in Israel and the events of Sept. 11 during their services. Chabad plans to invite people from its congregation to speak of the meaning and purpose of these events. The MJCS will host a special public service for the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy. There will be a candlelight ceremony at the synagogue plus a forum for those who wish to share their thoughts and feelings.
Both synagogues will be stepping up security for their services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Chabad is working in conjunction with local police and is increasing its own security personnel. The MJCS is requiring attendees to have names on their tickets and is requiring people to take a shuttle from the Civic Center to the synagogue.
When asked about the meaning of Rosh Hashanah in light of recent world events, Rabbi Judith HaLevy of the MJCS, the third rabbi since the founding of the center, replied, “For many of us it’s been an incredibly difficult year as we struggle to find a place of security and peace in a world that seems so precarious. The beauty of the holiday is that we open a page in 5763 to a New Year, with new hopes that we can finally have a sweet year of health, happiness and peace for Malibu and for all mankind.”
When asked how these difficult times would be addressed at the services and in the teachings at Chabad, Cunin said, “We will be discussing what we can do to be productive and how we can change. The purpose of life is to realize how important we are in people’s lives and to be truly empathetic. If we can do this, we can change things. Sometimes we need to be shaken up in order to see other people and see the truth in order to change the world.”
Tickets are required to attend the services at the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue. No tickets or reservations are required for Chabad of Malibu. If you are interested in attending any of these events, contact Chabad of Malibu at 310.456.6588 or the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue at 310.456.2178.