Because Jewish Announces 6th Annual HIGH HOLIDAYS

What if your Rosh Hashanah services included performances by musicians in the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Antibalas, Darkside and Sway Machinery? And what if you were praying in a homegrown, indie space where musicians are always trying out new material? And what if closing your eyes and looking inward, feeling the music, and finding moments of transcendence were more important than reading all the words from a prayer book you don't understand?

Then you might be joining Rabbi Dan Ain and Jeremiah Lockwood, along with a talented group of musicians who are committed to exploring the convergence of gospel, blues, jazz, improvisation and the tradition of Jewish cantorial music. For the sixth consecutive year, Rabbi Dan Ain, co-founder and leader of the innovative Jewish community organization Because Jewish, and Jeremiah Lockwood -- cantorial singer, blues guitarist, band leader and scholar of Jewish and American music -- are joining forces to create a different kind of High Holiday experience.

Each of the four services/events being offered has a slightly different flavor, and will take place in a different creative/arts venue in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side. All offer elements of the traditional High Holiday liturgy and rituals; plain-sense explorations and explanations of the holiday and its customs; opportunities for guided meditation with Yael Shy and Sydney Faith Rose; remarkable, blues-infused music you will not hear elsewhere; and time for schmoozing, celebrating, drinking and eating.

"In the midst of our technologically hyper-connected lives and a deluge of bad news from all corners of the Earth, it's hard to find moments of transcendence -- but it's more important than ever to find ways to recharge our souls, and the High Holidays are built for exactly that," says Rabbi Dan.

Those who purchase a Full High Holiday Pass ($250) for all four services are also invited to a pre-High Holiday gathering with Rabbi Dan and Jeremiah Lockwood on September 17 at 7pm. They will be teaching and singing and schmoozing in preparation for the coming holidays.

About The Services

Individual Event Tickets from $25 at BecauseJewish.com

Full High Holiday Package (all four services, meals and pre-holiday gathering), $250

EREV ROSH HASHANAH

Wednesday, September 20, 7pm

Nublu Classic, 62 Avenue C on the Lower East Side

Tickets: $25

The Setting: Nublu Classic, the Lower East Side outpost that describes itself as "a little clubhouse where friends get together and just play music with each other" is known for creating magic evenings of music with some of the world's best musicians.

The Service: The evening begins with a Rosh Hashanah service that includes traditional prayers, the blowing of the shofar, and new music to set the stage for the High Holidays and Jewish season of renewal. Jeremiah is also joined by three musicians known for their work in rock and worldbeat -- Jordan McLean (Antibalas), Dave Harrington (Darkside) and Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) -- who turn to the spiritual realm with an original, improvisational piece offered in lieu of the silent Amidah prayer. Also lending his voice for the service is the brilliant young cantor Yoel Kohn.

And More: Following the service, Jeremiah Lockwood and his band Sway Machinery rock the house with their unique blend of traditional Jewish melodies, American blues, and worldbeat. Dance, schmooze, celebrate the beginning of a new year, and try an appletini -- a special drink (for purchase) in honor of the traditional apples and honey that usher in sweetness for the new year.

BOWL HASHANAH

Thursday, September 21, 10am

Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn

Tickets: $90 ($40 for children under 13 or $60 with babysitting)

The Setting: Brooklyn Bowl, the borough's homegrown premier destination for live music and great food from Blue Ribbon. Rolling Stone called it "one of the most incredible places on Earth." Mike Greenhaus, editor-in-chief of Relix Magazine, said, "We have said for years that Brooklyn Bowl is our sanctuary, clubhouse, church and synagogue, so it only makes sense that we are going to be hosting Rosh Hashanah services there again this year!"

The Service: Rabbi Dan Ain leads services, with music from The Sway Machinery's Jeremiah Lockwood with Shoko Nagai on keyboards and drummer John Bollinger. Expect to hear some traditional melodies and prayers and plain-sense explanations along the way. The service also includes a Torah reading and ceremonies; opportunities for prayer and meditation; and -- of course -- the sounding of the shofar.

And More: A fabulous vegetarian/dairy lunch from the much-swooned-over Blue Ribbon follows the service (included in ticket price). Menu is likely to include comfort-food favorites like mac and cheese; French bread pizzas; mushroom and cheese sliders and kale & quinoa salad.

Babysitting service is available.

KOL NIDRE / Erev Yom Kippur

Friday, September 29, 7pm

Roulette Intermedium, 509 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

Tickets: $60

The Setting: Roulette is known as a hub for experimental music, dance and intermedia, with a spacious high-ceilinged performance area that's a perfect space for entering into Yom Kippur with a combination of ancient tunes and holy improvisation.

The Service: On the holiest night of the Jewish year, Rabbi Dan Ain and Jeremiah Lockwood offer a service that challenges us to reconsider our lives, with music and mediation that aim to offer spiritual moments in the midst of people's busy and overconnected lives. Joining them are Jeremiah's longtime collaborators Shoko Nagai (keyboards) and John Bollinger (percussion). Yael Shy leads a meditation to help us focus on healing the brokenness within ourselves and around us in the world, and vocalist Fay Victor joins us for the first time with her intense, genre-busting, improvisational vocals.

"We want to embrace the complexity and richness of Jewish sound and prayer, to be influenced by sounds deep in the tradition, and integrate that experience with sounds that are extremely free and in the moment," says Jeremiah. "Fay Victor brings that immediacy to her performances, and she will be able to provide a kind of 'meditational fulcrum' around which the evening will coalesce."

YOM KIPPUR

Sept. 30 at 10am - ALL DAY (includes Break-Fast)

ShapeShifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn

Tickets: $90

The Setting: ShapeShifter Lab, a spacious and flexible performance space in Brooklyn known for hosting the world's most innovative artists, is a perfect space for us to begin the day with prayer and then spend the rest of the day exploring the themes of the holiday with workshops and performances before the concluding service and a communal breakfast.

The Service: The morning prayer service beginning at 10 am includes traditional prayers, melodies and meditations to help us live the themes of the holiday -- renewal, forgiveness and change. Also included is the Yizkor service, which gives us an opportunity to remember those who are no longer with us. Rabbi Dan leads the service, and Jeremiah is joined by longtime collaborators Shoko Nagai (keyboards) and John Bollinger (percussion).

And More: After the formal service, there will be a series of activities throughout the afternoon to keep us in the spirit of Yom Kippur and deepen our experience and understanding of the holiday.

2pm - Avi Steinhardt and Heather Steinhardt (nee Wolfe) lead us in jazz improvisation, musical meditations and space for internal and collective reflections.

3pm - Rabbi Dan and Alana Ain lead an open-ended group discussion on the themes of the day.

4pm - Yael Shy leads a Yom Kippur meditation.

5 pm - Just in time to revive us before the concluding prayer service, Jeremiah Lockwood + The Fraternal Order of the Society Blues perform a concert of American religious music. The group includes members of the band that played with the American blues master Carolina Slim with whom Jeremiah studied. In the last years of his life, Carolina Slim returned to his gospel roots, and the band digs into some of that gospel material.

6 pm - Concluding service (Neilah)

7:15 pm - Communal Break-Fast meal (dairy/vegetarian, included in ticket price)