Rabbis see a mix of anxiety and determination as US Jews await High Holy Days

For Jewish congregations across the United States, the upcoming High Holy Days — always a compelling mix of celebration and repentance — will be more charged than usual this year. Rabbis say many of their congregants are worried by a surge of antisemitism, including two deadly attacks in the spring, yet are all the more determined to worship together in the coming days.

“There’s no doubt this is a very precarious moment,” said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. “People are feeling unsettled and vulnerable and also feeling that the High Holy Days could not matter more.”