Jewish High Holidays: High-Octane Planning

Rabbis have spent months preparing their high-holiday talks. Kosher markets have long since stocked their shelves for the season, and families have bought their tickets to tonight’s services for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which starts at sunset with Kol Nidre services.

The last-minute details fall to synagogue office managers, who have to make the extensive, seemingly endless preparations for the temple’s busiest time in the year. The task appears overwhelming: to ensure the comfort and safety of hundreds, if not thousands, of worshipers who will fill rooms packed with rented folding chairs and elaborate audio and video equipment.

Ruth Harrell, director of operations for Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach, has spent months orchestrating details of high-holiday programming for this year’s services in the Hebrew calendar year of 5761. Harrell has been tweaking every detail from lighting and security to child care for tonight, when the temple expects a crowd of more than 1,200.

She spent $2,400 to rent 700 chairs and seat pads for the spillover crowd; $200 more went for a shuttle bus to help members relegated to far-flung parking lots. Hiring extra security guards and ticket takers also fell under her jurisdiction. All told, the holiday budget was about $10,000.

“There are just so many logistic details we have to have in place,” said Harrell, doing the job for the fourth high-holiday season. “We start preparations full time each year by July.”

In case of emergencies, she will carry a radio to communicate with other staff members--a custodian to clean up if a child vomits in the lobby, which happened last year; or a person with medical training in case someone faints, which also happened last year.

Harrell has arranged for a dozen water coolers throughout the temple, has had special prayer books printed and has bought extra yarmulkes in case someone forgets the head covering. In the lobby, she has a first-aid kit that includes food in case a diabetic might need it, along with an oxygen tank, bottled water and a wheelchair.

Finally, she has coordinated the 30 ushers who will hand out programs and help direct people to their seats.

“They’re also making sure that the teenage kids aren’t running amok,” she said. “So far, we’ve never had any large catastrophes. We’ve been lucky and grateful.”

She and other temple managers say there is always a last-minute scramble.

For Beth Jacob Congregation of Irvine, office manager Maxine Rosenzweig said, she always makes sure first-aid supplies are on hand and that some staffers are trained in CPR.

“We’re able to handle anything,” she said. “But the worst thing we’ve had is a child needing a Band-Aid. We also have numerous doctors in our congregations if we need them. So we’re prepared.”

At Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo, now in transition before it moves into a permanent building in January, business administrator Michele Young is making arrangements for services in the sanctuary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mission Viejo.

Young estimates the cost for this year’s high holidays at about $6,000, the same as last year. The most important precaution she is taking is to hire a flock of security guards.

Such staffing is required because, “Unfortunately, we have a lot of sick people in the world. It’s like insurance. We hope we don’t have to use them, but their presence is there.”