High Holidays at the Peretz Centre 2026

The Peretz combined/condensed Rosh Hashone (New Year) & Yom Kippur observance is based in Secular Jewish Humanist practices that reflects our community's progressive values and history. With family activities, our High Holidays event offers a space to connect with family, friends, and the Peretz community, remember those we have lost in the last year, and welcome the new year together.

Sunday, September 13th, 2026 (1-4pm)

Gallia & Ben Chud Auditorium, Peretz Centre

6184 Ash Street, Vancouver

➤   How to Get Here / Building & Accessibility Information

Free street parking and underground parking available (elevator access)

Peretz members, friends, and new faces of all ages are enthusiastically welcomed. Our doors are open to people of diverse cultures, beliefs, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.

Please register by Tuesday, September 8th to ensure we have enough food for everyone! Apples, honey, cakes, and other traditional foods will be provided.

Schedule of Events

• 1pm: Craft activities for all ages

• 2pm: Jewish Secular Humanist observance

• 3pm: Kiddush (refreshments)

The Peretz tradition is to engage with and adapt traditional rituals, songs, and practices from Jewish cultures that are meaningful to us, and create new ones for present and future generations. This year's observance introduces new contributions to our community booklet, with candle lighting, traditional and secular songs with the Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir, and accessible readings focused on the meanings of the holiday. The observance ends with Kol Nidre (sung by Stephen Aberle), the blowing of the shofar, and Yizkor.

Yikzor: We invite our community to share names of loved ones who have passed since last Rosh Hashone to read out during the Yizkor observance in the event registration form (or by emailing info@peretz-centre.org).

Food Donations: The Peretz community is encouraged to bring nourishing pantry items to donate to Jewish Family Service's annual community food drive (or donate online to their virtual food drive), and make a contribution to the High Holy Days 5787 Tzedakah Campaign for the Gaza Soup Kitchen.

Shofar: Everyone is invited to bring a shofar and collectively sound the calls to assembly, mourning, and for justice and peace (all ages).

A gut yontif!

A gut yor!

L'Shana Tova!

Image credit: Jewish New Year postcard in Yiddish and Hebrew (no date), from the William A. Rosenthall Judaica Collection at the College of Charleston Libraries.