High Holiday seats
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High Holiday seats, also known as High Holiday tickets, are reservations made by congregants for space in a synagogue or temple during the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In most synagogues, those who obtain these tickets will have reserved seats with their last names marked. Often, long-time members will be offered seats in the same location year after year.
Generally, throughout most of the year, Jewish worship services are open to all, regardless of affiliation, and membership or payment of any fee is not requirement in order to attend. However, during the High Holidays, seats are more heavily in demand, and therefore, they are rationed by the snyagogues to those willing to pay a set fee. For members, this fee is generally included in one's membership dues. However, in most locations, a non-member who wishes to worship during the high holidays, but cannot afford the asking price for seats is not denied seats, but is offered tickets on a sliding scale.
Many synagogues generate much of their revenue for their annual operating costs from the sale of High Holiday seats.