Conference taveng::bagels

    Diane,

    I suspect they wouldn't tell you the price of a ticket is because they
    don't normally sell tickets.  (At least that used to be the case for
    Temple Shalom.)  The yearly dues include the RH-YK services, rather
    than being a separate expense, and therefore they don't have any
    mechanism for selling seats only for the High Holydays.  Most
    synagogues that operate this way do have a few seats set aside for
    guests, students, etc.  I believe that members of the UAHC (Union of
    American Hebrew Congregations--the Reform congregational organization)
    extend privileges to each other on a reciprocal basis, so if your
    friend can show evidence of membership in any UAHC congregation, he
    should have no problems while visiting another.

    (Any members out there that can confirm this?)

    Aaron

    Our congregation is a ways out from Newton, since we are in Westboro,
    just west of the intersection of route 9 and 495, but if that is not
    too far to go on a holiday, Congregation B'nai Shalom has an open
    seating policy - no tickets.  Most visitors make some kind of donation
    to the congregation, of course, but it is not required that one do so.
    For the very largest services (which are usually the first morning of
    Rosh Hashanah and the morning service of Yom Kippur - maybe because
    there is child care available during those services) we do ask
    non-members to wait until members are seated, but everyone is always
    welcome to attend.  Our congregation president is a DECcie; if you want
    more information about the congregation, I'll send you his DECnet
    address.
    
    We would hate to do it, but we may eventually have to go to a ticket
    scheme for high holidays because the congregation is growing so fast
    that we are already crowded in our new building, even though we moved
    into it only two years ago.   And of course there are always a few
    folks who think of it as a potential money-raising mechanism, but most
    of like to think of the congregation as being open to the community,
    whether or not they are well-off.
    
    /Charlotte

Waltham is right next to Newton and Brandeis may be a good place to get hooked
up to for services.  They have a lovely chapel and run services for all 
"flavors"/reform,concervative,orthodox.  Check with Hillel.

Waky

    Harvard Hillel is also quite large and open to the community; I've been
    to a number of their High Holiday services.  Kol Nidre requires tickets
    but I don't know if Rosh Hashanah does.  They have separate Reform,
    Conservative, Traditional-Egalitarian and Orthodox services.  Harvard
    Square isn't too far from Newton either, though parking can be funky.

    Usually tickets are obtained through members of a synagogue for
    members' guests...i guess that is how the custom began..although
    no synagogue should deny a stranger at the gates. You might try
    Beth El in Sudbury to get yourself acquainted with the tradition...
    it is very open to new people...however, the High Holidays always
    draw so many people that usually there is not enough seating for
    members...this may be why you have to jump hurdles to get tickets
    for guests who have no affiliation with the temple.  Your best
    bet may be one of the university services.  Boston University
    has many services too.  Any Hillel service at a university will 
    be cheaper and than buying a ticket.  Local synagogues could 
    charge from $50 - $100 or more depending on their policy.  
    Every synagogue has its own reasoning for guests and financing.       
                                  
    
    Try your local phone book to get all the phone numbers.
    
    Good luck and have a good holiday.

    I called both Brandeis and Harvard Hillels, Brandeis demanded $70
    per person and Harvard $100.  Harvard said you could write a letter
    to the Rabbi explaining why you couldn't afford $100 per person.
    I was really shocked about the whole thing.  I called my friend and
    he wasn't shocked.  So we are going ahead to Harvard, I drove down
    with my check (it's a good cause and it's tax deductible).  Just
    FYI, Harvard and Brandeis say they will not allow people in without 
    tickets or valid student IDs.  
    
     
   

    One reason for checking tickets/IDs is that many places are filled to
    capacity, and it isn't fair for a drop-in to take away a seat from
    someone who has made advance arrangements.

    This year I'm particularly sensitive to this issue because our Havurah,
    Shir Hadash, has sold out all our seats.  We don't want to turn people
    away, but the fire laws limit the number allowed, so if (not if, when)
    the drop-ins show up for Kol Nidre or Yizkor, we are going to have to
    ask them to stand outside.

    It's always nicer to be dealing with the problems created by attracting
    too many people than the problems of attracting too few, but problems
    are still problems...

                                        Aaron

    Re: .-1
    
    That's one of the reasons we have been avoiding tickets at B'nai
    Shalom.  The number of members exceeds the number of seats!
    
    By the way, what do you do if someone who has a seat isn't there?
    Do you let the seat remain empty for the whole service or do you let
    drip-ins sit in available seats after a certain time?
    
    We have a policy where drop-ins are asked to wait until five minutes
    before the start of services.  If there are seats available they can
    sit in the sanctuary.  I suppose this penalizes members who show up
    late, but they penalize us - they create extra traffic headaches, they
    disturb people when they go to their seats etc.
    
    There's really no way to win, except to build bigger shuls!
    
    				Paul