Celebrating Shabbat and Independence Day

With Independence Day falling on Friday, some congregations are changing their Shabbat evening service plans.

Birmingham’s Temple Emanu-El will hold a later than usual service — at 7 p.m. It will be followed by a dinner with hamburgers and hot dogs. Dinner reservations are required by July 1, cost is $6 for adults and $3 for ages 12 and under. After dinner, Thunder on the Mountain, the annual 9 p.m. city-wide fireworks display over Red Mountain, will be viewed from the parking deck.

Birmingham’s Knesseth Israel will have a barbecue Shabbat dinner, with kosher sausages, sliders and chicken, following the 6:45 p.m. service. There is a suggested donation of $18 before Shabbat.

In Dothan, Temple Emanu-El is holding a short 6 p.m. service in the garden of Harold and Helon Cutler.

Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem in Montgomery planned a 6 p.m. musical service followed by a cookout.

Pensacola’s Temple Beth-El is having an early service, at 4:30 p.m., at the Azalea Trace chapel. Rabbi Joel Fleekop will lead the service from the Union Prayerbook. The congregation is invited to join the Azalea Trace residents and there will not be a service at Beth-El in the evening.

In New Orleans, the Reform congregations’ joint summer services move to Temple Sinai for July. The congregation will host “Red, White and Jewish” on July 4 at 6:15 p.m., followed by a picnic-style Oneg.