Prayer is central to Jewish living at Temple Emanu-El. Our worship services are lively and dynamic. We aim to provide an open, comfortable setting for people to come together in prayer. We hold services every Friday evening and Saturday morning, as well as on holidays, at the start of Religious School on Sundays and in the middle of Religious School on Tuesdays.
Temple Emanu-El has multiple service "flavors." On Friday nights, our main adult services alternate between our traditional services, candle-lit Kabbalistic services that include meditation and alternative music, Armon Bizman services featuring the music of Sam Golden and Bob Hanshaw, and Simply Shabbat -- a friendly service for beginners that includes explanations. In the summer, we also feature Chardonnay Shabbat - welcoming in the Sabbath with wine, cheese, and an earlier worship service.
As an alternative to the main adult service, we have a monthly Tot Kabbalat Shabbat that is fun and engaging for families with young children and includes dinner prior to the service. We also have a monthly Northwest Shabbat service and dinner at the Westward Look Resort. Finally, we have a monthly "Rock Shabbat" with participation from our Religious School and the Avanim Band.
Every Saturday morning we have a traditional service. Once a month our service includes significant participation from our congregation's youth with Shabbat No'ar. Additionally, our Wandering Jews hiking group explores trails all around Tucson and hosts an alternative Shabbat morning service out in nature. Several times throughout the year, our Spirituality Initiative also hosts a Shabbat Morning Prayer Experience that runs in addition to our traditional service.
