This year, many Fashion Week–goers will have to make an important choice: fashion or Judaism? The High Holidays begin on sundown on September 8, the night before Fashion Week officially begins, although Fashion Week in New York has pretty much been stretched to a two-week affair with smaller labels and Jessica Simpson trying to piggyback on the excitement leading up to Fashion Week. An Upper West Side synagogue, Chabad of the West 60s, announced it will hold free Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services so fashion people can pop over form Lincoln Center to pray in their finest, for their finest.
“New York’s renowned fashion week begins on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, and many Jews may be conflicted between synagogue and Fashion Week. We want everyone to attend synagogue, and as such, only a block away, special services will be held for Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. We are offering free Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur tickets to anyone attending services at our synagogue this year, and asking only that they use what they would have spent to buy fashion to support New York’s economy,” said Rabbi Yehuda Lipsker of Chabad of the West 60s.
Special classes will be offered throughout the Jewish holidays discussing the roles of famous Jews in fashion, and a special prayer will be said for the Jewish designers (including Zac Posen, Diane Von Furstenberg, and others) to succeed at fashion week.
And when it’s all done they can go back to sinning in the tents with all those fun open bars.
