Community Worship

Friday Night and Holiday Services:

The LJCC serves as a synagogue and a center for Jewish life in Lawrence. We provide weekly Friday night Shabbat services as well as holiday services and celebrations. Community-led Friday night Shabbat services begin at 7:45pm and are followed by an Oneg Shabbat, with refreshments and socializing. Our services are in both Hebrew and English, and our congregation really enjoys singing. We are an egalitarian congregation and alternate use of Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist prayer books, depending on service leaders.


Early Services:

We have a monthly early service. This service has a wine and cheese reception at 5:45pm, a 30-minute service at 6:15pm, and an optional restaurant dinner afterwards. Our next early service will be on Apr. 9

We will be having a special service and potluck with the LJCC Religious School on Fri. Apr. 16 at 6pm.


Shiray Shabbat:

Shiray Shabbat, songs of Sabbath, is our resident musical group consisting of both professional and nonprofessional singers and instrumentalists. The group, founded in 2001 by Diane Whitten-Vile, lead a monthly all-musical Shabbat service. It includes both English and Hebrew prayers and traditional and contemporary melodies. There is a transliterated written service, and congregants are encouraged to join in and raise their voices in song--a wonderful way to welcome Shabbat on Friday evening.

Shiray Shabbat will lead services on Mar. 26 and Apr. 30. They also lead the service on the first night of Rosh Hashanah and provide music for several holiday and festival services. A CD of their music is available from the LJCC gift shop.