Worship

We have been welcoming Jewish families of all ages for the purposes of learning, holding services and celebrating the holidays since 1935. Our memberships consists of families and single adults, and an active religious school. Our traditional services led by Nava Herzog are user friendly and nourishing. If you are vacationing in the Hudson Valley or thinking of settling here, you are welcome to visit. Congregation Beth Hillel, while unaffiliated with any branch of Judaism, follows the Conservative Movement. We are committed to Jewish tradition and to the observance of mitzvot. Our services are traditional and egalitarian. We keep a kosher kitchen serving pareve or dairy foods.

All are welcome to attend Kabbalat Shabbat services which are held two Fridays per month with in-person and hybrid settings. We use the Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals published by the Rabbinical Assembly/United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. We have a transliteration booklet of Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday night) and Shabbat morning services. Following services there is a simple, warm and friendly kiddush for congregants to catch up and shmooze.
Festivals and Holidays at Congregation Beth Hillel are marked with meaning. Each holiday is approached ritually, educationally, and with a goal of strengthening our community as we connect to the meaning of the holiday.
- As we celebrate Sukkot, we build a sukkah and encourage our members to build their own.
- For our Chanukah party, we gather and light up our temple with Chanukiah lights, songs and love.
- Enjoying our Purim celebration, we follow the tradition of giving small donations and goodies with personal notes. We tell the story in costume and graggers.
- We strive to make our Model Seder a meaningful one for this might be the only Seder that some of our members attend. We are able to teach and guide families how to celebrate this important holiday.
- For Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial) We light a candle to remember the six million with music and recount stories from the Holocaust.
All of our festivals and holidays are warm, unique with a family atmosphere in every single celebration.
We gather as a community to welcome Rosh Hashanah and observe Yom Kippur. We mark this sacred time for a spiritual renewal of our faith. Our doors are open to all who wish to worship with us.
We begin the spiritual and physical preparations for the High Holidays with a special Slichot service. Our congregants take part in changing our curtains and Torah coverings from red to white. This ceremony is accompanied by beautiful and soulful music as we transition to the next year.
A Yom Kippur Yizkor service is led by Cantor Nava Herzog to remember our loved ones who have passed.
Our synagogue compiles the names of loved ones who have passed and maintains a record of the Hebrew dates so that we can observe Yahrzeits. Lights are lit on our Yizkor plaques for Yom Kippur. We recite the Mourner’s Kaddish at each service on the Yahrzeit of our lost loved ones. Our synagogue calendar also lists monthly Yahrzeits.