1) I didn’t get my tickets – Can I still get in?

Absolutely. We mailed out tickets, but mail is a little slower and less reliable than it had been in years past. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, please don’t worry. We have plans in place to safely let every member in, and you can check in at the door, even if you don’t have tickets.

2) I don’t have reserved seats – How will I know where I can sit?

Only reserved seats in the front of the sanctuary will have dark brown seat covers and labels on the armrests – the rest of the sanctuary (regular tan seats with no labels on the armrests) are unreserved.

All reserved maroon seats set up behind the main sanctuary have a florescent label – any unlabeled seat is unreserved.

Everyone is welcome to sit in any unreserved seat on a first-come, first-served basis. Before sitting in an empty seat, please be sure to check that it is not labeled as reserved.

3) I’d like to come to be with everyone for the High Holy Days, but I’m a little uncomfortable spending so much time indoors with so many people – Is there anything set up outdoors at Har Zion?

Yes. On the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah, we have a short outdoor shofar service at 1 PM under the Sayer-Berkowitz Pavilion, followed by a kiddush sponsored by Roni Rosen in loving memory of Don Rosen.

4) I used to receive a separate ticket for every reserved seat, but now I only received tickets for myself and my spouse – how can other members of my family get in?

Every adult member was mailed a ticket. All children of members between 18-24 should have also received a ticket. (Tickets are not required for anyone under age 18.) All paid guests and everyone who has a reciprocal membership should have received a ticket.

If you have members of your family over age 24 who are members of another shul, they can qualify for free reciprocal tickets to Har Zion. If those family members are not members elsewhere, but they live outside the Philadelphia area, you can purchase guest tickets for $175 per person. If you have family who live locally but who aren’t members of any other shul, we encourage them to join — membership at Har Zion is $250 or less per year for individuals under age 36, and people of any age can join Har Zion and get their dues reduced in cases where that’s appropriate.

Please contact Emily Berton in the Har Zion office for more information about getting additional tickets.

Do you need a ride? 

“Oh, if I’d only known (s)he needed a ride to Har Zion.”
“Oh, I would have been there, but I couldn’t get a ride.”

We are hearing these statements more and more — and would like to help connect our congregants who would like to attend High Holidays services, Shabbat services, meetings and programs to friends, neighbors, and fellow congregants who can offer a ride.

If you need a ride or can provide transportation to other congregants, please fill out the Transportation Questionnaire and return it to the Har Zion office, or send an email with your contact information to the Caring Committee at caring@harziontemple.org.

Parking

Har Zion has a lot of parking, but it’s not nearly enough for the holidays.  The north side of the building (turn right after entering the lot) has over 150 spots, and you are welcome to enter the building through the Kramer Entrance.  Anyone with a state-issued handicapped parking permit is welcome to park on the south side of the building (turn left after entering the lot).  Once those lots are full, there is street parking throughout the neighborhood, but please make sure not to block driveways or park in areas with No Parking signs posted.  Even when the lots are full, cars are welcome to pull in and drop off passengers under the front portico (and then the driver can leave to find street parking).  There are Lower Merion Police monitoring the parking lots – please follow their directions.

Will services be livestreamed?

All High Holy Day services, programs and classes will be in-person in the Har Zion Sanctuary and livestreamed, unless otherwise noted. The links will be posted above once they are live. 

All Family and Youth services and programs will be in-person only and indicated on the High Holidays 2026/5787 Schedule in italics.

Are there family-friendly services or youth programming? 

There are numerous Youth and Family activities throughout the High Holidays for children and teens of all ages. Babysitting is provided on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. 

More information can be found on the High Holidays 2026/5787 Schedule in italics.  

Where can I buy Judaica?

The Landau Gift Box is open Tuesday-Thursday, 10 AM-3 PM and can fill orders online, by email (giftbox@harziontemple.org), or by phone at 610-667-5000 x126.

For questions or to make an appointment, please email us at giftbox@harziontemple.org.

Can I volunteer during the holidays?

Absolutely! Thank you for your generosity. Please sign up to be a High Holidays Usher by emailing Alan Workman (ajworkman@aol.com).