By Daniel Hartill,Staff Writer

AUBURN – To Jews, the High Holy Days are the most important time of year, an accounting of the soul.

The 10 days begin Monday at sunset with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

It starts a time of introspection and evaluation of one’s actions.

“(Rosh Hashanah) is a joyous time,” Rabbi Hillel Katzir of Temple Shalom Synagogue-Center in Auburn said Thursday. “We’re finding ways to be not just better, but to be more the people God intended us to be. God meets us more than halfway.”

The new year of 5766 on the Jewish calendar will likely be marked by more self-analysis for Temple Shalom.

In June, the synagogue’s 18-member board of directors voted unanimously to break with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

In the new year, members will meet in small groups and larger forums.

They may join with another organization or they may decide to continue independently.

“We will be deciding what our Jewish identity is going to be,” Katzir said.

Meanwhile, the synagogue has been growing. In all, about 115 households belong to Temple Shalom, up from about 105 last year.

“We welcome all Jews,” said Katzir. That includes people who may have a spouse or partner of another faith, or gays and lesbians.

Katzir has continued to work to connect with Jews in rural areas, something he calls Project Outreach.

He meets with people once or twice a month in the Farmington area.

Many are likely to come to the Auburn synagogue for the High Holy Days.

During the next week, the synagogue will have several services, which culminate on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is observed with a 25-hour fast.

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