The team behind Haggadot.com, the not-for-profit, crowdsourced haggadah-making platform, has announced the launch of a dedicated microsite for the High Holiday season. Designed around at-home rituals, HighHolidaysAtHome.com is a brand-new platform, democratizing the holidays by making them accessible for everyone, even in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

HighHolidaysAtHome.com invites us to bring our whole selves and our beloved traditions into our homes for a season of celebration. The site features ready-to-download Rosh Hashanah seders, Yom Kippur rituals, Sukkot ceremonies, home altar instructions and more. Visitors can also mix and match blessings, songs, prayers, art and videos to craft a personalized experience that reflects their Jewish values and spiritual practice. 

 

“We’re hopeful that the constraints we face this year will ultimately enable radical shifts in our Jewish practice,” said Eileen Levinson, Founder & Executive Creative Director of Haggadot.com. “Each of us is now the designer and director for our own spiritual experience, and our team is excited to use our expertise and technology to empower everyone.”

 

In the early days of the pandemic, more than 400,000 people turned to Haggadot.com to find a way to celebrate a Passover seder, even when far away from family. Site traffic tripled from previous years as Jews around the world created and downloaded customized haggadot for their virtual seders. Now, the Haggadot.com team is bringing their expertise in blending new technology with ancient traditions to the High Holidays.

 

“These High Holidays offer a great chance to invent DIY practices!” said Rabbi Denise Handlarski, of Secular Synagogue, an online community where members often collaborate on communal Jewish experiences. “Creating your own at-home practices makes sure you get what you need for a powerful holiday experience.” 

 

Visitors to HighHolidaysAtHome.com are also invited to join webinars offering a collection of DIY rituals such as writing personalized liturgy and creating a ritual life planner for the coming year. Register for upcoming webinars and watch recordings of past sessions here: https://highholidaysathome.com/blog/HHDWebinars

 

The site offers resources contributed by a diverse community of creators. It recently published Seeker Season: A Guide To The High Holidays For The Curious & Courageous, featuring illustration by Jessica Tamar Deutsch. Several rituals focused on healing, wholeness and release have been shared from The Blue Dove Foundation, an organization committed to addressing issues of mental health and addiction in the Jewish community.

 

Changing the narrative around who gets to participate in our community has been a key focus for Haggadot.com. “Too often, concerns about financial barriers and physical barriers mean some people are left out of the High Holiday experience,” said Rebecca Missel, Director of Partnerships and Operations at Haggadot.com. “This year, everyone is on equal footing. We are all celebrating at home, together.”