As rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom, Neil Amswych always hopes it’s his message that will spiritually move people when they come to a service.

“I’d like to think it’s always the sermon that moves people, and sometimes it does,” he said in a recent interview. “But in reality, it’s also those moments music helps lift you to a different place.”

The Reform congregation’s strong musical background will get an opportunity to shine during Rosh Hashanah services this week.

The first of the Jewish High Holidays, which conclude with Yom Kippur in October, Rosh Hashanah is the start of the new year in accordance with the Jewish calendar. It’s a holiday that’s rich with tradition, including eating apples and honey to symbolize a wish for a “sweet” new year.

The Tashlich ceremony, meanwhile, involves

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