At
SAMS, we celebrate Shabbat, the High Holy Day and other
festivals throughout the year. Our services combine friendly
informality with an atmosphere of concentration and
involvement. We are fortunate in having many members of the
community lead our services and everyone is encouraged to join
in at whatever level.
Families sit together and we welcome
children of all ages (see
Children's
Services
below). The congregation uses the Sim
Shalom
Prayer Book and the vast majority of the service is in
Hebrew.
SAMS
uses a variety of different venues in the centre of St Albans
as
we do not yet have our own building. (See our
Building
Fund
page for more details.) To check on our location,
please
contact the Synagogue
Office.
Friday Night
Kabbalat Shabbat services take place in members' homes.
These informal and song-filled services are held at 7:15pm
throughout the year. For locations please
Contact
Us.
Shabbat
The
morning service begins at 9:45am and is followed by a Kiddush
for everyone. We have regular
Explanatory
Services
as well as Se'udot Shelishit (literally
"third meals") in members' homes on Shabbat
afternoons with a talk on a Jewish text or topic in the
summer months, in winter there is Havdallah.
Festival
Services
A wide variety of study and communal activities are
also provided; particularly popular are the Community Seder
and Purim party.
Children's Services
On one Shabbat morning each month and on the major
festivals, Children’s Services are held from 11:00am.
The Toddlers’ Service for pre-school children is
participatory (parents too!) and child-friendly,
including songs, and stories.. For children of primary
school age (5-10 years old), the service includes
prayers as well as story-telling and songs; both parents
and our older teens who have completed the Meltam (youth
leadership) course help out in this service.
Youth Services
For kids in secondary school (aged
11 and up), a Youth Service is held on one Shabbat
morning each month from 10:00am, as well as on the major
festivals. Led by our Noam Youth Worker, the service is
highly participatory, including prayers, discussion,
drama and songs.
