Community Corner
Pine Brook Jewish Center Participates In Free High Holiday Ticket Offer
One of several Morris county worship centers participating in free ticket program.
The United Jewish Communities of Metrowest New Jersey foundation is giving away free High Holiday tickets this month through its MetroPass program to be used at synagogues throughout the area, including the Pine Brook Jewish Center in Montville.
The Metropass ticket gives people who are new to the community or not yet part of a synagogue the opportunity to join one of the UJC's synagogues for the High Holidays, which are Rosh Hashanah (starting at sundown on Sept. 8, the continuing through Sept. 10) and Yom Kippur on (starting at sundown Sept. 17 and continuing through Sept. 18).
UJC spokeswoman Stacey Brown said this promotion is meant to extend the Jewish community in the area.
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"UJC Metrowest is looking to make sure we have a strong Jewish Community," Brown said, "so we are always looking to help synagogues get new people in the door."
Participating synagogues are located throughout Morris, Essex, Sussex and some northern Union counties and include synagogues representing many denominations of Judiasm including Conservative, Independent, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform and Unaffiliated.
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The free ticket offer expire on Aug. 31 and can be found on the UJC Web site. Brown said it was important to offer the tickets for free to attract more people and to allow them to be able to celebrate these important days of the year in a synagogue.
"The High Holidays are the most attended days of the year," she said. "With the free entry we will have many new people coming through the door. We are in a unique position because we cross denominations, so we know this can have a very positive effect on the amount of people attending these services."
According to a report for the Jewish Telegraph Service, charging a fee for tickets to High Holiday services is a common practice in American synagogues, though more and more worship centers are offering free tickets as a means to invite patrons to worship.
Representatives of the Pine Brook Jewish Center have not yet been available for comment on the center's High Holiday services.
