Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block thinks of High Holiday services almost like an opera.

Some attendees study an opera ahead of the performance because there’s often “a lot happening” in the plot.

“By studying it and learning, [services] will be a more meaningful experience for people when they go,” Kimelman-Block said. “It’s one of the most powerful rituals we have, and it’s a time when lots of Jews attend, so let’s make it as meaningful and relevant to their lives as possible.”

That’s why Kimelman-Block and other area rabbis offer pre-High Holiday classes that delve into the services, explaining the meaning behind central prayers and holiday traditions.

One such “explainer” event is the Elul On-ramp at Congregation Or Chadash held Sept. 2 and 9.

Elul is “meant to be a very intentional month [in which] we fix wrongs with other people and we try to make amends and we also are gearing up for the holidays,” Or Chadash’s Rabbi Allison Kobey said. “As we engage in this month of introspection, it’s also time to learn more about what lies ahead, so that’s the idea of the Elul On-ramp. I see some opportunity for deeper learning.”

In addition to answering attendees’ questions about the High Holidays, Kobey plans to teach about some of the key prayers: “Avinu Malkeinu,” “Unetaneh Tokef” and “Kol Nidre.”

“Every year, some of these prayers lend themselves to questions and to wrestling with them,” the rabbi said. “They’re not meant to just be words that we say, but it’s meant that our heart goes into the prayers as well. And how do we put our heart in if we don’t agree with all the language, or even if we do agree with all the language, how do we make sure the prayer still resonates for us?”

“Avinu Malkeinu” — “Our Father, Our King” — could raise questions about the use of male God language, Kobey said: “How can we connect with that today if that’s not our particular God language? How do we find meaning in that prayer?”

Kobey knows that some in the Jewish community struggle with the “who shall live and who shall die” segment of “Unetaneh Tokef,” which concludes that through repentance, prayer and charity, the “harshest of decrees can be averted.”

“It, in some ways, feels like [our fate is] so out of our control, and yet, to me, we need that prayer now more than ever because there are things that are still in our control: how we respond to any given situation,” Kobey said. “That’ll be another prayer that we’ll definitely look more in depth at.”

“This is the near-death experience out loud,” said Kimelman-Block, who taught a similar class at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

Titled, “High Holidays Cheat Code: Understanding Services from the Inside,” the Aug. 25 class was geared toward anyone who wanted to learn more about the structure, symbolism and theology of the High Holidays.

The message of “Unetaneh Tokef” is “terrifying in a lot of ways” because it “forces us to reckon with the fact that we don’t know what we have in store,” he said.

Near-death experience is an overarching theme, Kimelman-Block told the class.

“We’ve probably heard lots of stories or read articles of people who have an experience where they think they are about to die, like a car accident, and after that experience, it puts things into a different kind of perspective,” he said in the class. “They can have their values clarified, and that may lead to changes in behavior or may lead to a different way of life.”

The crux of the High Holidays is human mortality.

“We don’t know how much time we have left to live, so we should live according to our values,” Kimelman-Block said.

The rabbi also discussed the collective nature of “Ashamnu,” the traditional confession prayer recited during Yom Kippur services. Instead of “I have sinned,” the prayer emphasizes, “We have done so many things wrong.”

While some Jewish denominations encourage congregants to strike their chest with a closed fist for each wrongdoing, Kimelman-Block suggested a gentler pat on the chest instead, to represent a “change of heart.”

He shared with the class a list of 10 interpretations of the shofar written by an Iraqi Jewish spiritual leader during the Middle Ages, a glossary of High Holiday-specific vocabulary and a rundown of Jewish prayer services.

The class drew 19 students, some of whom were in the process of converting to Judaism or who may not have attended High Holiday services before.

“I think it’s nice to get a deeper read on what the prayers mean because normally, I’m just trying to keep up with the book,” said Anna Hazard, a Rockville resident who attended the class. “Really spending time on the words has a different impact.”

These informative events aren’t reserved for nondenominational and Reform synagogues. Rabbi Hyim Shafner of Kesher Israel Congregation, a Modern Orthodox shul in Washington, D.C., offered virtual pre-Rosh Hashanah classes on Aug. 20 and 27.

“I always do a few classes for the High Holidays for people to get ready for the holidays,” Shafner said.

Shafner taught about the “majesty and humility of the human being” in High Holiday prayers, classes that are now available on YouTube. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgies fluctuate between human insignificance and cosmic importance, he said.

“We’re not just physical or not just spiritual. We’re kind of both,” Shafner said.

While some members of Kesher Israel have grappled with this idea for perhaps their entire lives, for newer members, this year might be their first or second time observing the High Holidays.

“Kesher is a very diverse place with a wide range of folks: people who grew up observant, but lots of people who did not, or who didn’t grow up Jewish,” Shafner said.

Whatever their background, everyone can learn a thing or two this time of year.

zbell@midatlanticmedia.com