Carley-barley, tri-chitza ,partnership-style leading, old-school liturgy with new-fangled kavanot…
Roots uses Hebrew liturgy, while working to make the services as inclusive as possible.  These services are held for all daytime services on Rosh Hashana, and all Yom Kippur services from Kol Nidre through to Neilah.

DON'T KNOW THE WORDS?  SING, HUM, WHISTLE INSTEAD.

As there's no Chazzan, no Rabbi and indeed no choir, the only voices to be heard are ours. We are all participants in GRJ and want everyone to feel inspired and enthused to join in. Some tunes will be familiar, others perhaps less so, but please do sing or hum/’lai-lai-lai’ along. It will also make our gracious service leaders feel really great.

What kind of services are they?

One of the key aims of Grassroots Jews is to create a prayer and High Holy Day experience that has meaning, colour and depth. We want to engage with the liturgy while allowing everyone to be themselves.  When you come, you'll bring your own unique take on this wonderful evolving project in exploratory and experiential spirituality.  We love praying, sharing, learning and celebrating together.  We even create resources and seek out mentors amongst ourselves so that Torah verses in the services can be chanted by GRJ participants - some of us for the very first time. 

Our services and sessions straddle multiple traditions and innovations. We're delighted to be formed by Orthodox, Masorti, Renewal, Reform, Liberal, unaffiliated, confused, amused and wandering Jews and their loved ones.  

Experimentation is the stuff Grassroots is made of. You can pick and choose which services or sessions to go to, have a mix between them or choose one that suits you more. All GRJ services are highly engaged with Jewish traditions and all services have elements of innovation. What we find is unique to all services at GRJ is that where possible, services have two co-leaders. This pair will have planned the format, music, words and reflections of the service together. We love this approach and we find it invites a more collaborative prayer experience.  

LEYNING & BLASTING (Torah Reading and Shofar Blowing)

This year, about 40 special souls (approx 10% of our gathered community!) will step up and read from the Torah, some for the very first time. Many have told us that taking part in this is the highlight of their High Holiday experience.  GRJ Torah services are completely communally led, with help from a team of friendly mentors, and a handy set of recordings.

Shofar blowing is also open to all genders, with certain parameters to fit into the Orthodox framework.  For this it would help if you can already toot a trumpet.  No matter how new, rusty, or polished you are, you will have a chance to step up when you sign up.