Selichot Play @ Temple B’nai Abraham

On Saturday, September 20, beginning at 9:00 PM Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston, will hold its observance of Selichot. Selichot, literally “forgiveness,” is the service held on the Saturday evening before Rosh Hashanah to help usher us into the themes of the Holy Days. There will be a staged reading by TBA congregants of the play The Gates are Closing authored by award-winning playwright Merle Feld. The action takes place in a synagogue on Yom Kippur, following 10 main characters who span a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and professions as they grapple with issues of identity, meaning, loyalty, betrayal, repentance and forgiveness. Introducing us to a minyan of Jews addressing the issues of forgiveness, reconciliation and repentance, the characters struggles can open our hearts to the spiritual work of the holidays. The award-winning The Gates are Closing has offered hundreds of synagogue communities and university groups from Brooklyn to Beijing a powerful and moving introduction to the themes of the High Holidays. Merle Feld is a widely published poet, award-winning playwright, peace activist and educator. She is the author of a new volume of poetry, Finding Words, (URJ Press, 2011) and a highly acclaimed memoir, A Spiritual Life: Exploring the Heart and Jewish Tradition (State University of New York Press, revised edition 2007). Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the community. For information , 973-994-2290 or visit www.tbanj.org