This guide provides a list of free options for streaming services online in all U.S. time zones. Because strict holiday observance precludes using electricity and computers on Yom Kippur, not many Orthodox synagogues are listed here.

East Coast (Eastern Daylight Time)

Adas Israel (Conservative)

Adas Israel, located in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1869. It is “socially-conscious, and aspires to celebrate Conservative Judaism at its creative best.” Led by Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt and Rabbi Aaron Alexander. All High Holiday services will be streamed on their webpage.

B’nai Jeshurun (Unaffliated)

B’nai Jeshurun is a nearly 200-year-old unaffiliated synagogue located in New York City. They bring together a multi-generational community in prayer, music, learning, joyful celebration, and activism. They will be streaming all High Holiday services.

Central Synagogue (Reform)

This 2,600-member congregation is one of the largest synagogues in North America. The synagogue streams its High Holidays services free on its website and on its Facebook page.

Park Avenue Synagogue (Conservative)

This 1,650-family Manhattan congregation’s vision includes practicing “a Judaism filled with love, literacy, reverence, compassion, and joy” and striving “to make our ancient tradition compelling and welcoming to contemporary Jewry and to serve as a light unto our fellow Jews and the nations.” Led by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove. More High Holiday information and full services schedule here.

Temple Emanu-El (Reform)

Founded in 1845, Emanu-El was New York City’s first Reform congregation. Led by Rabbi Joshua Davidson. Full holiday schedule available here.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (Reform)

This century-old Reform synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is led by Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. Full holiday schedule available here.

Temple Beth El (Reform)

Temple Beth El of Boca Raton was founded in 1967. They will be livestreaming High Holiday services on their website.

Beth Adam (Humanistic)

Located near Cincinnati, Ohio, Congregation Beth Adam is a humanistic synagogue that streams High Holiday services on their website.

Midwest (Central Daylight Time)

Congregation Temple Israel (Reform)

Congregation Temple Israel in St. Louis, MO, strives to be a holy community through worship that is participatory, joyful, musical, and inter-generational. All High Holiday services will be streamed live on their website and YouTube page. 

Temple Beth-El San Antonio (Reform)

High Holiday services for this historic Texas congregation are broadcast on their website; Shabbat services are also regularly broadcast and archived on the streaming site. Led by Rabbi Mara Nathan, an associate rabbi and a cantor. See the full High Holiday service schedule here.

Mount Zion Temple (Reform)

Mount Temple is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. The High Holiday services will be streamed on their website.

Congregation Bene Shalom (Non-Denominational)

Bene Shalom, in Skokie Illinois, was founded in 1948 by deaf Jews. All services are ASL interpreted. The schedule and Zoom links for High Holiday services can be found on their website.

Shir Chadash (Conservative)

Shir Chadash is a Conservative Congregation serving the Greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. Information for how to join Yom Kippur services via Zoom can be found on their website.

Congregation Shaare Emeth (Reform)

Congregation Shaare Emeth, in St. Louis, seeks to be a compassionate and inclusive community that makes Judaism relevant, meaningful and joyful. They are streaming Yom Kippur services on their website.

West Coast (Pacific Daylight Time)

Ikar (Unaffiliated)

This Los Angeles community led by Rabbi Sharon Brous aims “to reanimate Jewish life, to reengage text and tradition not only so that we find personal meaning and connection, but also to help us decipher what it means to be a human being in the world today.”

Congregation Beth Israel (Reform)

An historic center of Jewish life in San Diego, Congregation Beth Israel offers “a warm welcome and a nurturing home to all who seek a meaningful and enduring connection to Judaism.” Services led by Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein, and Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel. They will be streaming services on their YouTube channel.

Congregation Shir Hadash (Reform)

Located in Los Gatos, California, Shir Hadash describes itself as “an evolving, vibrant, growing Reform Jewish congregation dedicated to providing a sense of community for its members as well as opportunities for spiritual growth and developing a strong Jewish identity.” It is led by Rabbi PJ Schwartz and Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy.

Or Hamidbar (Unaffiliated)

Or Hamidbar, located in the California desert, is led by Rabbi David Lazar. High Holiday services will be streamed via Facebook Live.

Stephen Wise Temple (Reform)

Located in Los Angeles, CA, Stephen Wise Temple is a community that “makes meaning, and changes the world.” They will be streaming all of their High Holiday services via Zoom, Facebook and YouTube.

Keeping it Sacred (Unaffiliated)

Keeping it Sacred is a center for exploration of Jewish texts, ritual, and customs, led by Rabbi Heather Miller. Registration required.

Congregation Ner Tamid (Reform)

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Congregation Ner Tamid fosters a warm, caring and inclusive environment for a diverse community, including individuals, couples, and families of all types. They are streaming services on their YouTube page.

Temple Emanuel, Beverly Hills (Reform)

Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills believes in the power of connection, community, and commitment to our Jewish identity. They are streaming Yom Kippur services on their website.

Temple Bat Yahm, Orange County (Reform)

We are a center for Jewish life in Orange County, CA, a home away from home where you and your loved ones can share with us in the life-long Jewish journey of learning and discovery. They are streaming Yom Kippur services on their website.

International

Emanuel Synagogue (Sydney, Australia)

This “dynamic, pluralist Jewish congregation committed to Jewish tradition, creating community and celebrating diversity” will stream all their High Holidays services.

West London Synagogue

This “lively, active, inclusive community of progressive Jews” will stream all their High Holidays service on their website.

The post Where to Stream Yom Kippur Services for Free appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

In 2020, for most, High Holiday services were not experienced at synagogue but at home. The virtual model creates both challenges and opportunities for how to observe and celebrate. Holidays that previously required of us simply to show up at a certain time and place now ask for a bit more.

If you’re attending High Holiday services over Zoom, here are seven suggestions to help you get the most out of this virtual holiday experience.

1. Wear Holiday Clothing

It may be tempting to stay in pajamas, but it’s a good idea to dress in a way that will help you feel that the day is special. While the spirit of the holiday does not lay in our clothing, outer garments can have an impact on our inner experience. Some people have a tradition to wear a new shirt on Rosh Hashanah, and a kittel on Yom Kippur. Even if your computer’s camera is turned off and no one else will see what you’re wearing, you will feel the difference. 

2. Create a Beautiful Space Around Your Screen

Set up your space in a different way than your typical work-at-home station. If you normally sit in your office for work-related or Zoom learning sessions, sit in your living room. If you live in a studio apartment, put your screen somewhere else in the space, or flip it in the other direction. Giving yourself a different background can make for a different experience. Try to create a miniature sanctuary in your own home: Clean the space, hang a tapestry, put clutter in a drawer.

3. Stream Video on a Large Screen

If possible, stream services on a larger screen. Investigate what kind of cord is needed to connect your computer to your television, so that you won’t have to be so close to your computer screen. This will allow more space for your prayer experience. If you don’t have a television screen, close all other browsers on the device you’ll be using. Either way, create a small “worship space” at a distance from the screen.

4. Buy or Print a Mahzor

Try to buy or print the mahzor, or holiday prayer book, that will be used in the service. A printed book or pamphlet will add texture to your experience. Plus, If you have a hard copy, you won’t need to minimize or split screens while you watch a prayer service. Alternatively, set up two screens: one for the text of the machzor, and one for the service itself. (Check out My Jewish Learning’s guide to buying a mahzor here.)

5. Choose a Single Service

While it may be tempting to synagogue-hop, or wonder if there’s something better on another “channel,” it is better to choose one service ahead of time that you can commit to on the holiday. Or, if you do feel the need to switch, switch early, not often. Being fully present in one virtual space can add to a sense of being part of a community, even if that community is virtual or temporary. Staying with one service gives the day form and rhythm, offering a more integrated experience.

6. Participate

Participating can take many forms, but you’ll feel the difference between being an active participant and a passive spectator. Chant along, hum along, sway along, say the words, read the translation. Bow, stand and sit if you are able. Even if you can’t hear, see, or touch the other participants, you become part of a virtual congregation when you bring your full self to the service.

7. Make It Holy, However You Can

All of these suggestions are based on the premise that we, as participants in the service, can take active steps to co-create both sacred space and sacred time. By doing this, we distinguish the holidays from other days, just as Shabbat is distinguished as holy (kodesh), from the other days of the week which are profane (chol). This Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, more than ever before, you have the opportunity to create an atmosphere in your home – a makeshift Temple – that can highlight the holiness of the days. Making your space and this unique moment in time holy, however you see fit, will add a new dimension to your holiday observance. 

How are you spending the High Holidays this year? Share your plans, suggestions, and questions in My Jewish Learning’s vibrant Facebook discussion group, Let’s Talk Jewish Holidays.

The post High Holiday Zoom Services: How to Get the Most out of Them appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Before lighting candles on Yom Kippur, make sure you and your family is fed and dressed and ready for the holiday. Once the candles are lit, your fast has begun. Many people also bless their children before lighting the candles. 

For Yom Kippur, it is traditional to light two holiday candles, just like Shabbat. Many people who have lost a parent first light a yahrzheit candle in that parent’s memory. The two holiday candles burn down in a few hours, but the yahrzheit candle should burn through the entire 25 hours of the holiday.

Blessing for lighting candles*

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל (שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל) יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kiddishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel (shabbat v’shel) yom ha-kippurim.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to light the (Shabbat and) Yom Kippur candles.

*Include the words in parentheses only when Yom Kippur begins on Friday night and therefore coincides with Shabbat.

Shehechiyanu

After lighting candles, it is traditional to recite the prayer for reaching milestones:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam shehechiyanu v’kiyimanu v’higiyanu la-zman ha-zeh.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe who has kept us alive, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this moment.

The post Candle-Lighting Blessings for Yom Kippur appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

What’s Yom Kippur about exactly?

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when we ask forgiveness for the wrongs we have committed over the past year. Jewish tradition believes that on this day God places a seal upon the divine decrees affecting each person for the coming year. Traditionally, Jews fast on this somber day and also refrain from other bodily pleasures.

How long does Yom Kippur last?

Yom Kippur, which falls 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, lasts one day. It begins at sundown and concludes at sundown the following day. The fast itself lasts 25 hours.

Do I have to be a synagogue member to go to Kol Nidre or other Yom Kippur services?

No, although most synagogues require you to purchase High Holiday tickets in advance. If the cost is prohibitive, you can sometimes request a lower rate. In addition, many synagogues do not require tickets for their Yom Kippur afternoon services. A number of congregations and other Jewish institutions offer free services for the entire holiday, but you may need to do a little research to find them. Some suggestions to get you started are listed here.

Where can I find a live stream of Kol Nidre and other Yom Kippur services on the Internet?

While traditional Jews do not use technology on Yom Kippur, a growing number of non-Orthodox congregations are broadcasting Yom Kippur and other holiday services online. Many also broadcast Shabbat services and make previous services available for streaming anytime on their website or YouTube channel. Learn more about streaming High Holiday services here.

Why do people fast on Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is the day on which we are instructed to divorce ourselves as completely as humanly possible from the mundane world in order to devote ourselves with all our hearts and minds to our relationship with the divine. Fasting is the most widespread manifestation of this devotion. Other examples include: refraining from washing, sexual relations, and the wearing of leather (a sign of luxury in earlier times).

Do children have to fast? Is anyone exempt from fasting? Can I at least drink water?

Traditionally, Jews are not required to fast until they reach bar/bat mitzvah age (12 or 13), and children under the age of 9 are not allowed to fast. People for whom fasting is a health risk, along with pregnant and nursing women, are also exempt. The fast includes abstaining from water, but, again, only if doing so does not pose a health risk. Find tips on fasting without jeopardizing your health here.

I heard it’s OK to wear sneakers to services. Is that really true?

Yes, many Jews wear sneakers, or white athletic shoes, on Yom Kippur. That’s because of a desire to avoid leather (a sign of luxury in early times) and the tradition of wearing white, as a symbol of purity.

What prayers are unique to Yom Kippur?

The evening of Yom Kippur begins with Kol Nidrei, a prayer that is repeated three times and asks that all vows and oaths that we have made throughout the year be forgiven so we can start the new year with a clean slate. Another major prayer is the Viddui, or confession, which includes Ashamnu and Al-Chet, prayers which list all the sins individuals in the community have committed.

What parts of the Torah are read on Yom Kippur?

On Yom Kippur, congregations traditionally read a passage from Leviticus about the sacrificing of a goat (the origin of the term scapegoat). The Reform movement has replaced that reading with one from Deuteronomy about the human freedom to make moral choices. In addition to these readings from the Torah (the five books of Moses), on the afternoon of Yom Kippur it is customary to read the Book of Jonah, from the Prophets section of the Bible.

What’s this I keep hearing about the Yom Kippur breakfast? I thought people skipped breakfast on Yom Kippur.

A break-fast is an informal meal in the evening, after the Yom Kippur fast has ended. In the United States, break-fasts tend to resemble morning breakfast (or at least brunch) in that they tend to be dairy (rather than meat) and include bagels, cream cheese, smoked fish, salads and sandwich fillings like cheese, tuna salad and egg salad. Find some recommended recipes here.

How do I greet people on and before Yom Kippur? And are there any special words or phrases I need to know?

You can say, “Have an easy fast” or “gmar chatima tova” (may you be inscribed for a good year.) It’s also acceptable to say “shana tova” (happy new year). As for other words and phrases for the holiday, check out our glossary for Yom Kippur. (We also have ones for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, as well as other major holidays.)

Want to learn more about the High Holidays? Sign up for a special High Holiday prep email series.

The post Yom Kippur FAQ: All About the Day of Atonement appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Gmar Hatimah Tovah — Pronounced guh-MAHR khah-tee-MAH toe-VAH. Literally “A good signing/sealing.” This is a traditional greeting during Yom Kippur, referring to the belief that on Rosh Hashanah our fates are written, or inscribed, in the Book of Life, and on Yom Kippur we are sealed in it.

Kittel — Pronounced KITT-uhl. A Yiddish word for robe or coat. Here it refers to a white robe that men and some women wear during Yom Kippur services. White represents the purity we hope to achieve through our prayers.

Kol Nidrei — Pronounced KOHL NIH-dray. Literally “all vows,”  this is the name for the prayer recited at the outset of Yom Kippur.

Mahzor (also machzor) — Pronounced MAHKH-zohr. Literally “cycle,” the mahzor is the special prayer book for the High Holidays, containing all the High Holiday liturgy. (The prayer book used during the rest of the year is called a siddur, which literally means “order.”)

Neilah — Pronounced nuh-EE-lah. Literally “locking,” this is the name for the final service on Yom Kippur, during which we make a final plea to God to accept our prayers and seal us in the book of life for the year to come.

Teshuvah — Pronounced tuh-SHOO-vah. Literally “return,” this word is often translated as “repentance,” one of the most significant themes and spiritual components of the High Holidays.

Tzom Kal — Pronounced tzome kahl. Literally means “easy fast.” The English equivalent, “Have an easy fast,” is also not uncommon.

Viddui — Pronounced VEE-doy. Literally “confession,” this is a prayer recited just before Yom Kippur and repeated many times during the holiday. During the Viddui, we gently beat ourselves on the chest for each transgression listed. This action serves as a symbolic punishment for our hearts, which are ultimately responsible for leading us to sins of greed, lust and anger.

Yamim Noraim — Pronounced yah-MEEM noe-rah-EEM. Literally “Days of Awe,” this term refers to the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur.

Yizkor — Pronounced YIZZ-kohr. Literally “May God remember,” Yizkor is a prayer service in memory of the dead, which is held on Yom Kippur and on the last day of each of the three festivals, Passover, Shavuot, and Shemini Atzeret.

Yom Tov — Pronounced YOHM tohv. Literally “good day,” this is a generic term used to refer to major Jewish holidays.

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The post Must-Know Yom Kippur Words and Phrases appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The shofar is created by hollowing out a ram’s horn, shaping it, and polishing it. It’s a tricky (and occasionally smelly) feat that doesn’t always end up the way you think it will. But it’s a rewarding task, nonetheless.

The shofar is evocative of the Torah portion that we read on Rosh Hashanah, the story of the binding of Isaac. It calls to mind the image of the ram stuck in the bush that Abraham ultimately sacrificed instead of his son — reflecting our own sometimes difficult parent-child relationship with God.

Is the shofar blown on Shabbat?

The shofar is not supposed to be blown on Shabbat. You might be tempted to think this prohibition is similar to the prohibition against playing other instruments on Shabbat. But in fact, the rule against blowing the shofar on Shabbat has more to do with the prohibitions against carrying items outside of the home on the day of rest. (Many of these prohibitions are discussed in Tractate Eruvin of the Talmud.) The shofar is a ritual object, and there are specific injunctions against carrying ritual objects outside between one’s home and the synagogue on Shabbat. So if Day 1 or Day 2 of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, you will not hear the shofar blown on that day.

Where can one hear the shofar?

The most common place to hear the shofar is in synagogue. If you attend synagogue for the High Holidays, you’ll be guaranteed to hear the shofar blown when you are there for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. In some cities, especially those with large Jewish populations, you might be able to hear the shofar blown on street corners, or in public parks. These days, you can even hear the shofar blown online. My Jewish Learning is broadcasting a shofar blowing every day during the Hebrew month of Elul on its Facebook page. Here is a sample shofar blowing video from these morning broadcasts.

How was the shofar used through time?

The shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but the ram’s horn has had other roles throughout Jewish history. Read more about the origins of the shofar here.

Read More About the Shofar

Turn the shofar on its side and it looks like a question mark — and its blast draws our attention to the most important question we can ask.

Learn more about the different blasts of the shofar — and hear them as well.

Want to learn more about the High Holidays? Sign up for a special High Holiday prep email series.

The post What Is a Shofar? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The post Mayim Bialik Explains Yom Kippur appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking, known in Hebrew as cheshbon hanefesh — literally “an accounting of the soul.” This process is conducted in preparation for Rosh Hashanah when, Jewish tradition teaches, all of humanity is called to account and a divine judgment is issued. The customs associated with Elul are all intended to help cultivate the proper mindset for this preparation.

Elul Customs

Perhaps the best-known Elul tradition is the blowing of the shofar every weekday after morning services. As on Rosh Hashanah, the daily shofar blasts are intended to rouse us from complacency and jolt us into repentance.

It is also customary to recite Psalm 27, which speaks of the assurance of God’s protection and includes a plea that God not forsake his people, daily during the month of Elul.

Some Jewish communities also begin reciting the penitential prayers known as Selichot at the beginning of Elul, though the most common Ashkenazi custom is to recite them only in the days immediately preceding Rosh Hashanah.

Torah Readings During Elul

Rabbi Alan Lew, in his book This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, observed that the weekly Torah readings during Elul also offer subtle cues to wake up and take stock of one’s life.

Parashat Re’eh, read at the beginning of Elul, begins with God enjoining the Jewish people thus: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced.” The first step in taking an account of one’s life is to look, to see clearly the possibilities laid out in each moment and to choose the path of blessing.

The next portion is Parashat Shoftim, which instructs the officers of the Jewish army to release from battle anyone who has built a home they have not yet inhabited, planted a vineyard they have not yet harvested, or betrothed a woman but not yet married her. The point being that those with unfinished business, whose attention may be compromised, are a danger to themselves and others. At a time of year when we contemplate our lives and our mortality, this serves as an invitation to consider what unfinished business is tearing at our hearts.

Parashat Ki Teitzei continues with the laws of war. At the beginning of the portion, the Torah requires that if a soldier sees among the captives of war a beautiful woman he desires, he must first take her into his home, shave her head, cut off her fingernails, and remove her dress. For a month, she must remain in the soldier’s home mourning for her family before she can be taken as a wife. In Lew’s telling, this law demands that rather than impulsively ceding to our desires, we watch them and see what deeper truth reveals itself.

More Elul Teachings

One of the best-known teachings about Elul is that the four Hebrew letters of the month’s name are an acronym from the verse in Song of Songs: Ani l’dodi v’dodi li (“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”). Song of Songs is understood to be an allegory in which the lovers are God and Israel. Elul is thus understood to be a time of recommitting to our relationship with God.

Another teaching, attributed to Shneur Zalman of Liady, the founder of the Chabad Hasidic sect, compares God to a king who is normally ensconced in his palace where he is merely glimpsed or addressed through intermediaries. But during Elul, the king comes out to the field and can be approached by any of his subjects.

Both these teachings point to the idea that Elul is a time of divine closeness, a period where connection to God comes easier than at other times of the year. As such, it is an auspicious time to do the inner work of repairing and deepening one’s relationship with God.

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The post What is Elul? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Full break fast meals are sometimes held in synagogues, but often in people’s homes or other communal spaces. It is common to serve bagels and schmear or kugel because these can be prepared in advance and require no cooking or preparation during the holiday. Here are some more menu ideas. There is usually very little ritual at these meals other than, in more traditional settings, the ritual hand-washing and the blessing for eating bread that precede any other ordinary meal. Usually, people enjoy the lighter mood that follows Yom Kippur, and the opportunity to fill their stomachs. If you’ve been fasting, you might want to go slowly — a large, quickly-consumed meal might not sit well!

The post What Happens at a Yom Kippur Break Fast? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Can the Yom Kippur fast be meaningful even without beliefs in reward and punishment, a judging God, and a sense of obligation? And if so, how?

One potentially useful approach can be found in the Bible, where fasting is often portrayed as a practice that works on the heart – as a mourning rite (II Samuel 1:12, 12:16-23), as part of revelation or prophecy (Exodus 34:28, I Samuel 28:20), as preparation for an important event (Judges 20:26, I Samuel 14:24, Esther 4:6), and as part of petitionary prayer (I Samuel 7:5, II Samuel 12) or repentance (Jonah 3:5, Jeremiah 36:9). There is also evidence of a little-discussed discipline of women voluntarily fasting (see Numbers 30:14 and the apocryphal Judith 8:6), and many later examples of fasting as a preparation for visions (Daniel 10:2 and elsewhere). And there are instances of fasting as, essentially, magic (Judges 20:26, Joel 1:14, Jonah 3:5-10).

In all these contexts, fasting is regarded for what it does to the individual, how it can function as, essentially, a spiritual practice. Only later did the effects of fasts became secondary to their historical or theological significance. For example, in fasts mentioned in the Book of Zechariah (and that were later made part of Jewish law), the emphasis is on the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, not the function of fasting itself.

A return to the earlier conceptions might help those for whom the dictates of Jewish law, or the theology of Yom Kippur, may be less compelling than the effects of fasting on body, heart, mind, and spirit.  What are some of those effects?

First, fasting can bring about a strong sense of cleansing, or even catharsis. On a physical level, this may be a function of sweating out the garbage from industrialized food or a chemical-rich contemporary environment. On an emotional level, maybe it’s about cleansing the accumulated grime of ignored emotions, and getting some insight (often painful) into what lies beneath.

Second, fasting makes spiritual reflection and meditation easier. Denying the body food reduces the amount of energy available to the brain, and so it becomes increasingly difficult as the day wears on to think in the usual, linear ways. Often, the momentum of thought decreases and it becomes quite satisfying just to “be here now.”

This is similar to what meditation does: slowing down the train of thought so that it is possible to see the world more clearly. It’s no wonder then that fasting has been part of contemplative, prophetic, and even magical practices from the Bible to the present day. In a concentrated state, the mind can visit territories otherwise beyond our ken.

Third,on Yom Kippur in particular, these effects of fasting are enhanced by community, and by the knowledge that hundreds of thousands of people are doing this internal work at the same time as you are. This is true even though we don’t all agree about the day’s significance. After all, Jews have never agreed about anything; we have four new years and three names for the Passover holiday. Community is built by doing, not agreeing.

Finally, having a fixed date helps. If you only do a spiritual practice when you feel like doing it, is it really a spiritual discipline at all?  Having the calendar date fixed enables the practice of fasting to act as a mirror on life as it is, not just life when you’re in the mood to do something spiritual. It comes whether you want it to or not. It takes religion beyond the ego.

Fast days can lead to places that are achingly beautiful: it’s possible to become, albeit temporarily, more loving, more accepting, and more grateful simply by changing the body’s biochemistry for a day. If nothing else, fasting can reveal how much the personality and identity that we’re so proud of is dependent on daily nourishment. Just one skipped meal, and look what happens to this supposedly self-sufficient ego!

As Isaiah famously said, fasting without heart is no guarantee of piety. But with intention and attention, it can lead to precisely the compassion the prophet demands.

Rabbi Jay Michaelson is the author of six books, including “The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path.” He holds a Ph.D from Hebrew University and a J.D. from Yale Law School, and is the legal affairs columnist at the Daily Beast.

The post The Benefits of Fasting on Yom Kippur appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Whether through carelessness, egotism or laziness, teshuvah challenges us to admit our transgressions, make amends, and resolve to do better in the coming year. Yet according to the great Hasidic master Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira, teshuvah is also a kind of creativity. More than a simple return to what has been, it is a process of remaking ourselves anew. But how?

Rather than turning away from our missteps, the creative potential of teshuvah lies in a turning toward those places in which we faltered or failed. In the words of psychologist David Richo, “Hidden in everything negative is something alive and beautiful that wants to belong to us.”

Immense power and potential dwell in the dark, unresolved places in our soul. For it is only when we allow ourselves to come face to face with these less desirable parts of ourselves that we can understand and unlock the creative vitality contained within them. In this way, we emulate the creative process of the Divine.

The practice of making art can help connect us to these wild, untamed parts of ourselves.

Start with a desire, the call of what attracts you. It could be something small, the pigment of a color, the feel of a certain brush. From there, make marks on a page, seeing where the next mark will take you. Each moment, each stroke, is guided by each subsequent desire. And each desire is a call from intuition, that place beyond the rational, intellectual mind, a place older than time and beyond words, the source of creation. We could call it God. You can feel it when you create in this way, it is tangible.

This way of painting appears simple, almost childlike. Yet the skill required is in some ways much more demanding than accurately portraying the dimensions of a still life. It is that of opening to intuition, to God, of following the path into the bright sunshine, the dark damp woods, the rocky cliffs, the murky depths within.

It can be terrifying to think where this creative exploration might lead us, or what we’ll find in our swirling depths. We weren’t raised to be explorers of our soul, to hear the voice of the universe refracted through us. We’ve been conditioned to replicate an image of what we think — or have been told — the paintings of our lives should look like.

But in opting for safety, we miss the wild, fertile place of all possibility, our innate creativity. And without this connection, teshuvah becomes impossible.

A beautiful Midrash about the creation of the world conveys an argument between a certain philosopher and Rabban Gamliel, the leading rabbinic authority of his time. Reflecting on the first verses of the Torah, the philosopher remarks, “Your God is indeed a great artist, but surely God found on hand suitable materials which were of help in creating!” Intrigued, Rabban Gamliel asks, “What are those materials?” The philosopher replies, “chaos, void, darkness, water, wind, and the depths” (Genesis Rabbah 1:9).

When teshuvah leads us back into the texts of our lives, we too find chaos, void and darkness in our depths. Rather than turning away from our human failings, teshuvah beckons us toward these complicated, as of yet unintegrated places within. The ways in which we miss the mark arise from those dark and unknown corners of ourselves, those places of chaos and void.

But it is also within these very places that our own artist’s palette lies hidden. Like a half-finished painting that yearns to be fully realized, teshuvah is the work of re-engaging with all that yet remains unknown and unresolved so that a fuller, richer, more vibrant image may emerge.

In the High Holiday season of new beginnings, teshuvah beckons us to return to our depths so that we may encounter these places of primordial chaos within. May we have the courage of spirit, intrepidness of mind and openness of heart to see all that we find there as pigments on our palette, the raw materials for us to create ourselves anew.

The post The Art of Teshuvah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

חָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ

chah-tah-noo lih-fah-neh-chah

we have sinned before You.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father our King!

אֵין לָֽנוּ מֶֽלֶךְ אֶלָּא אָֽתָּה

ayn lah-noo meh-lech eh-lah ah-tah

we have no King except You.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

עֲשֵׂה עִמָּֽנוּ

ahh-say ee-mah-noo

deal with us [kindly]

לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶֽךָ

lih-mah-ahn shih-meh-chah

for the sake of Your Name.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

בָּרֵךְ עָלֵֽינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה

bah-raych ah-lay-noo shah-nah toe-vah

bless us with a good year.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

בַּטֵּל מֵעָלֵֽינוּ כָּל גְּזֵרוֹת קָשׁוֹת

bah-tail may-ahh-lay-noo kole geh-zay-rote kah-shote

annul all harsh decrees concerning us.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

בַּטֵּל מַחְשְׁ֒בוֹת שׂוֹנְ֒אֵֽינוּ

bah-tail mahch-shih-vote sone-ay-noo

annul the designs of those who hate us.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, our King!

הָפֵר עֲצַת אוֹיְ֒בֵֽינוּ

hah-fair ahh-tzaht oy-vay-noo

thwart the plans of our enemies.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כַּלֵּה כָּל צַר וּמַשְׂטִין מֵעָלֵֽינוּ

kah-lay kole tzahr oo-mahsh-teen may-ah-lay-noo

rid us of every oppressor and adversary.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

סְתוֹם פִּיּוֹת מַשְׂטִינֵֽנוּ

s’tome pee-yote mahss-tee-nah-noo

seal the mouths of our adversaries

וּמְ֒קַטְרִיגֵֽנוּ

ooh-mih-kaht-ree-gay-noo

and accusers.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כַּלֵּה דֶּֽבֶר וְחֶֽרֶב וְרָעָב וּשְׁ֒בִי

kah-lay deh-ver vih-cheh-rev vih-rah-ahv oosh-vee

remove pestilence, sword, famine, captivity,

וּמַשְׁחִית וְעָוֹן

ooh-mahsh-cheet vih-ah-vone

destruction, [the burden of] iniquity

וּשְׁ֒מַד

oosh-mahd

and religious persecution

מִבְּ֒נֵי בְרִיתֶֽךָ

mib-nay bih-ree-teh-chah

from the members of Your covenant.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

מְנַע מַגֵּפָה מִנַּחֲלָתֶֽךָ

mih-nah mah-gay-fah mee-nah-chah-lah-teh-chah

withhold the plague from Your inheritance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

סְלַח וּמְ֒חַל לְכָל עֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ

s’lach oo-m’chahl lih-chole ah-voh-no-tay-noo

forgive and pardon all our iniquities.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

מְחֵה וְהַעֲבֵר פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ

mih-chay vih-ha-ah-vair pih-shah-ay-noo

blot out and remove our transgressions

וְחַטֹּאתֵֽינוּ מִנֶּֽגֶד עֵינֶֽיךָ

vih-chah-toe-tay-noo mee-neh-gehd ay-neh-chah

and sins from before Your eyes.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

מְחוֹק בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים

mih-choke bih-rah-chah-meh-chah hah-rah-beem

erase in Your abundant mercy

כָּל שִׁטְ֒רֵי חוֹבוֹתֵֽינוּ

kole shit-ray cho-voe-tay-noo

all records of our liabilities.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

הַחֲזִירֵֽנוּ

hah-chah-zee-ray-noo

bring us back

בִּתְ֒שׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ:

bit-sho-vah shih-lay-mah lih-fah-neh-chah

in wholehearted repentance before You.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

שְׁלַח רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה

shih-lach rih-fooh-ahh shih-lay-mah

send complete healing

לְחוֹלֵי עַמֶּֽךָ

lih-choh-lay ah-meh-chah

to the sick among Your people.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

קְרַע רֹֽעַ גְּזַר דִּינֵֽנוּ

k’rah roe-ahh gih-zahr dee-nay-noo

tear up the evil [parts] of our sentence.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ בְּזִכָּרוֹן טוֹב לְפָנֶֽיךָ

zahch-ray-noo bih-zee-kah-rone tove lih-fah-neh-chah

remember us favorably before You.

The following five prayers are said during the Ten Days of Penitence.
אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כָּתְ֒בֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר חַיִּים טוֹבִים

kaht-vay-noo bih-say-fair cha-yeem toe-veem

inscribe us in the Book of the Good Life.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כָּתְ֒בֵֽנוּ

kaht-vay-noo

inscribe us

בְּסֵֽפֶר גְּאֻלָּה וִישׁוּעָה

bih-say-fair gih-ooh-lah vee-shoo-ahh

in the Book of Redemption and Deliverance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כָּתְ֒בֵֽנוּ

kaht-vay-noo

inscribe us

בְּסֵֽפֶר פַּרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָּלָה

bih-say-fair pahr-nah-sah vih-chahl-kah-lah

in the Book of Maintenance and Sustenance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כָּתְ֒בֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר זְכֻיּוֹת

kaht-vay-noo bih-say-fair zih-choo-yote

inscribe us in the Book of Merits.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

כָּתְ֒בֵֽנוּ

kaht-vay-noo

inscribe us

בְּסֵֽפֶר סְלִיחָה וּמְ֒חִילָה

bih-say-fair sih-lee-chah ooh-mih-chee-lah

in the Book of Pardon and Forgiveness.

The following five prayers are said on public fast-days.
אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים

zach-ray-noo lih-chah-yeem

remember us for a good life.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ לִגְ֒אֻלָּה וִישׁוּעָה

zach-ray-noo lih-g’ooh-lah vee-shoo-ah

remember us for redemption and deliverance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ לְפַרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָּלָה

zach-ray-noo lih-pahr-nah-sah vih-kahl-kah-lah

remember us for maintenance and sustenance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ לִזְ֒כֻיּוֹת

zach-ray-noo liz-choo-yote

remember us for merit.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכְ֒רֵֽנוּ לִסְ֒לִיחָה וּמְ֒חִילָה

zach-ray-noo lis-lee-chah ooh-m’chee-lah

remember us for pardon and forgiveness.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

הַצְמַח לָֽנוּ יְשׁוּעָה בְּקָרוֹב

hahtz-mahch lah-noo yih-shoo-ah bih-kah-rove

cause deliverance to spring forth for us soon.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

הָרֵם קֶֽרֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּֽךָ

hah-raym keh-ren yis-rah-ell ah-meh-chah

raise up the might of Your people Israel.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

הָרֵם קֶֽרֶן מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ

hah-raym keh-ren mih-shee-cheh-chah

raise up the might of Your anointed.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

מַלֵּא יָדֵֽינוּ מִבִּרְ֒כוֹתֶֽיךָ

mah-lay yah-day-noo mee-beer-cho-teh-chah

fill our hands with Your blessings.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

מַלֵּא אֲסָמֵֽינוּ שָׂבָע

may-lay ah-sah-may-noo sah-vah

fill our storehouses with abundance.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

שְׁמַע קוֹלֵֽנוּ

shih-mah koe-lay-noo

hear our voice,

חוּס וְרַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ

choos vih-rah-chaym ah-lay-noo

spare us and have compassion upon us.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

קַבֵּל

kah-bail

accept

בְּרַחֲמִים וּבְ֒רָצוֹן אֶת תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ

bih-rah-chah-meem ooh-vih-rah-tzone eht tih-fee-lah-tay-noo

our prayer with compassion and favor.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

פְּתַח שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַֽיִם לִתְ֒פִלָּתֵֽנוּ

pih-tahch shah-ah-ray shah-my-eem

open the gates of heaven to our prayer.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

זָכוֹר כִּי עָפָר אֲנָֽחְנוּ

zah-chor kee ah-fahr ah-nach-noo

remember, that we are dust.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

נָא אַל תְּשִׁיבֵֽנוּ

nah ahl tih-shee-vay-noo

Please do not turn us away

רֵיקָם מִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ

ray-kahm meel-fah-neh-chah

empty-handed from You.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

תְּהֵא הַשָּׁעָה הַזֹּאת

tih-hay hah-shah-ahh hah-zote

let this hour be

שְׁעַת רַחֲמִים

shih-aht rah-chah-meem

an hour of compassion

וְעֵת רָצוֹן מִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ

vih-ayt rah-tzone meel-fah-neh-chah

and a time of favor before You.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

חֲמוֹל עָלֵֽינוּ

chah-mole ah-lay-noo

have compassion upon us,

וְעַל עוֹלָלֵֽינוּ וְטַפֵּֽנוּ

vih-ahl ohh-lah-lay-noo vih-tah-pay-noo

and upon our children and infants.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn

do it for the sake of those

הֲרוּגִים עַל שֵׁם קָדְשֶֽׁךָ

hah-roo-geem ahl shame kahd-sheh-chah

who were slain for Your holy Name.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn

do it for the sake of those

טְבוּחִים

tih-voo-cheem

who were slaughtered

עַל יִחוּדֶֽךָ

ahl yee-choo-deh-chah

for [proclaiming] Your Unity.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn

do it for the sake of those

בָּאֵי בָאֵשׁ וּבַמַּֽיִם

bah-ayy bah-aysh oo-bah-may-yeem

who went through fire and water

עַל קִדּוּשׁ שְׁמֶֽךָ

ahl kee-doosh shih-meh-chah

for the sanctification of Your Name.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

נְקוֹם לְעֵינֵֽינוּ

nih-kome lih-ay-nay-noo

avenge before our eyes

נִקְ֒מַת דַּם עֲבָדֶֽיךָ הַשָּׁפוּךְ

nik-maht dahm ahh-vah-deh-chah hah-shah-fooch

the spilled blood of Your servants.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַנְ֒ךָ אִם לֺא לְמַעֲנֵֽנוּ

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn-chah eem loh lih-mah-ahh-nah-noo

do it for Your sake if not for ours.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַנְ֒ךָ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn-chah vih-hoe-shee-ayy-noo

do it for Your sake and deliver us.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן רַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn rah-chah-meh-chah hah-rah-beem

do it for the sake of Your great mercy.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן

ahh-say lih-mah-ahn

do it for the sake

שִׁמְ֒ךָ הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא

shim-chah hah-gah-dole hah-gee-bore vih-hah-noh-rah

of Your great, mighty, and awesome Name

שֶׁנִּקְרָא עָלֵֽינוּ

sheh-nik-rah ahh-lay-noo

which is proclaimed upon us.

אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ

ah-vee-noo mahl-kay-noo

Our Father, Our King!

חָנֵּֽנוּ וַעֲנֵֽנוּ

chah-nay-noo vah-ahh-nay-noo

favor us and answer us

כִּי אֵין בָּֽנוּ מַעֲשִׂים

kee ayn bah-noo mah-ahh-seem

for we have no accomplishments;

עֲשֵׂה עִמָּֽנוּ צְדָקָה וָחֶֽסֶד

ahh-say eeh-mah-noo tzih-dah-kah vah-cheh-sed

deal with us charitably and kindly with us

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ

vih-hoe-shee-ay-noo

Hebrew and English text taken from The Metsudah Machzor, via Sefaria.

The post Text of Avinu Malkeinu appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The origins of Kol Nidrei can be traced to the fact that at various times in Jewish history Jews were forced to convert to other religions on pain of death. However, after the danger had passed, many of these forced converts would want to return to the Jewish community, in spite of their forced oaths of loyalty to other faiths. Because of the seriousness with which the Jewish tradition holds words and promises, the Kol Nidrei formula was developed in order to enable forced converts to return and pray with the Jewish community, absolving them of their vows made under duress. This ancient ceremony is an especially solemn and moving introduction to the holiday evening service of Yom Kippur. Even those most estranged from the Jewish community will return on this one evening a year in order to hear the age-old chant.

Symbolizing the spiritual purity toward which we strive, it is traditional to wear white clothes on Yom Kippur, and many people wear a white robe-like garment called a kittel. In addition, Yom Kippur is the only day of the year when one wears one’s tallit (prayer shawl) all day, rather than just in the morning.

Yom Kippur prayer services are characterized by their emphasis on the two major themes of forgiveness from sin and of teshuvah, or repentance. Sin is not viewed as a permanent state in Judaism. On the contrary, it means that we are challenged to repent and improve ourselves. God forgives us for the sins against the divine. In order to stand before God on Yom Kippur ready for true repentance, we must have first apologized and sought forgiveness from those whom we have hurt over the course of the previous year. Only then are we truly prepared to repent before God on Yom Kippur.

Beginning with Shachrit, the morning service, the themes of seeking forgiveness for sin and engaging in the process of teshuvah form the core of the liturgy. The Torah reading details the ancient Yom Kippur ritual in which a scapegoat would symbolically carry the people’s sins into the desert (Leviticus 16). The Haftarah, or prophetic reading, is taken from the book of Isaiah (Chapters 57 and 58), in which the prophet criticizes the religious rituals of the ancient Israelites when they are not accompanied by acts of righteousness, charity, and morality.

One of the central aspects of the liturgy of Yom Kippur is called the Viddui, or “confessional.” In these prayers, the community recites a list of different transgressions it has committed, literally from A to Z.  [Since the viddui is actually in Hebrew,  the list of sins follows the Hebrew alphabet, from aleph to tav.] Since no one single person has committed all of these sins, the confessions are in the plural, in order to indicate that we as a community are collectively responsible for one another. When reciting the lists of sins, it is customary to softly beat one’s breast in a symbolic act of self-remonstration.

Two other additions to the Yom Kippur liturgy are the Martyrology and the Avodah service, both of which are found in the Musaf (“additional”) service. The Martyrology is actually a long medieval poem that describes in painfully gruesome detail the deaths of famous rabbis during ancient Roman persecutions. This poem and subsequent additions from the time of the Crusades and (in some communities) the Holocaust are intended to impress upon us the spiritual devotion of our ancestors, in addition to intensifying the religious and emotional tenor of the day. This is followed by the Avodah (“worship”) service, which describes the rituals enacted on Yom Kippur in the Jerusalem Temple in antiquity, when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to utter the name of God at the height of the atonement rituals. [Throughout the service, as we recount our transgressions, there is also a constant reminder in the liturgy that despite our sins, God has shown unwavering compassion and mercy towards us.]

The Musaf service also repeats the main themes of the Shaharit service and includes many ancient and medieval religious poems. After the afternoon Torah reading, the Haftarah is the Book of Jonah, whose well-known story of the prophet swallowed by a huge fish deals entirely with the theme of repentance.

The final service of Yom Kippur is unique to the day. Called Neilah (“closing”), it refers to the symbolic closing of the gates of heaven and the book of life, in which God inscribes the fate of each person for the coming year. There is a sense of spiritual urgency that characterizes this service, as the sun is beginning to set and most people are light-headed and exhausted from the fast and prolonged prayers. For a lengthy portion of Neilah, the doors of the Ark are opened, revealing the Torahs inside. It is customary to stand whenever these doors are opened.

Neilah builds in intensity until it concludes with a final tekiah gedolah, a “great blast” of the shofar, the ram’s horn. This awe-inspiring sound signals the conclusion of the Day of Atonement, after which it is customary to prepare or attend a festive break-the-fast meal.

The post Yom Kippur In the Community appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The idea of confessing a sin appears in the Bible. In Numbers 5:6-7 we read: “A man or woman who does a sin toward a person, thus breaking faith with God, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess the wrong that he has done.” Later rabbinic sources understood this to entail a requirement to confess on one’s deathbed, which is why we have a tradition of reciting Viddui as a person is dying. Perhaps this is also why it is so prominent in the liturgy of Yom Kippur, a day in which we try to change our life by rehearsing our own death, abstaining from life-affirming activities like eating and having sexual relations.

The commandment to confess on Yom Kippur is part of the oldest layer of Jewish law. In the Tosefta (Kippurim 4:14), we read that one must confess before the start of the final meal prior to Yom Kippur. But this is not a one-time act. One has to confess after the meal as well, lest one sinned during the meal. In fact, one continues to confess during every service of Yom Kippur, five more times in total, lest one sin during the day of Yom Kippur itself. This may be a grim view of human nature – we can’t even go a few hours without sinning! – but perhaps a realistic one.

What does one say to confess? There are different traditions about this, and many rabbis had their own versions, as detailed in the Talmud. But one very short phrase is essential: Aval anachnu hatanu. In truth, we have sinned.

This is stark in its brevity: An admission that we have sinned is the essence of confession. But what is the function of the word aval – “in truth”? After all, simply saying “we have sinned” would seem to suffice.

The word aval is relatively rare, coming only 11 times in the Bible. Unlike in modern and rabbinic Hebrew, where it means “however,” it originally meant “in truth.” Its inclusion in Viddui appears intended to draw our attention to the only time it is used in the Bible in the context of an admission of guilt — the confession of Joseph’s brothers.

In Genesis, we read of the brothers throwing Joseph into a pit and then later selling him into slavery, essentially committing the sin of kidnapping (if not fratricide). Later in the story, we hear them admit their guilt, unwittingly, to Joseph, who is listening in: “They said to one another: In truth, we are guilty on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us.” Genesis 42:21

The essential confession of Yom Kippur is therefore built on the confession of Joseph’s brothers, who finally admit that Joseph suffered and they ignored his pleas. This is the core sin that lies at the center of confession: brothers harming one of their own. This sin also gets prominent placement in a later section of the Yom Kippur service, the Ten Martyrs, the recounting of the gruesome killings of ten rabbis of the mishnaic period who, we are told in the midrash, were led to their deaths to pay for the sin of Joseph’s brothers. (Midrash Eleh Ezkereh, Beit ha-midrasch vol 2, pp. 64-65).

Over time, the formula that constituted the confession grew from this kernel to a longer alphabetical acrostic — and now two alphabetical acrostics: the Ashamnu series and the Al Chets. This stylized confession, recited during each Amidah of Yom Kippur while gently striking the chest, is a litany of categories of wrongdoing that is meant to cover the entire congregations’ sins.

Nowadays, these scripted confessions often serve as a substitute for the real work of confessing one’s own particular sins. But it wasn’t obvious to the rabbis that confessing specific, personal sins was ideal. Indeed, the great talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva was opposed to listing specific sins, creatively rereading a verse in Psalms 32:1 to mean that people are praised for covering up their sins. Perhaps detailed personal confession is not a religious ideal and risks cultivating an unhealthy attitude of extreme guilt.

Should one have to confess sins previously admitted to? This is also debated in the Talmud. Although one rabbi says one should always confess a sin, even from previous years, the majority opinion states that one should not repeat a confession year after year. One can go overboard with admitting guilt, and there is value in stating one’s sins and moving on without forever dwelling in the past.

Are there any sins that are not entirely our fault even though we committed them? Rabbi Akiva offers a take on that question as well, even pointing a finger at God in an attempt to shift full blame away from the Jewish people. In considering the sin of the Golden Calf, one of the core sins recalled on Yom Kippur, Rabbi Akiva makes a daring claim: God set us up to fail. By giving the Israelites so much gold when they left Egypt, God created the factors which led to the sin of the Golden Calf. Rabbi Akiva even imagines God confessing: “I gave them too much gold.” Perhaps even the worst sins are not entirely our fault.

Audio of the Ashamnu (courtesy of Hadar Institute)

The post Understanding Viddui appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

As children, we intone, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

As adults, we’re urged to “get it in writing.” A verbal contract or agreement is meaningless without having it appear in black and white, finalized with our signature.

But Kol Nidrei — the service recited at the outset of Yom Kippur and which is arguably the most recognizable piece of Jewish liturgy — teaches us that words alone carry an awesome power. This most sacred, powerful, and iconic service of the Jewish year revolves around nothing less than the sheer majesty of the spoken word.

Read the full text of Kol Nidrei here:

In front of the entire congregation, the cantor chants:

All vows we are likely to make, all oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our vows, pledges, and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.

In fact, the Kol Nidrei prayer is not a prayer at all. Rather, it’s a somewhat dry legal formula. Two witnesses, holding Torah scrolls to insert an additional measure of gravitas, stand on either side of the cantor as he chants the text three times. The words of Kol Nidrei are not even Hebrew, but Aramaic, which was the vernacular in ancient times. Hebrew would be reserved only for holy texts and prayers, not a legal proceeding.

And because we would never engage in any business or legal dealings during a Jewish holiday, Kol Nidrei must be recited before Yom Kippur actually begins, in advance of sunset. This is why the Yom Kippur fast lasts closer to 25 hours or even longer. We’re already sitting in synagogue listening to Kol Nidrei before the holiday technically begins.

Why do we use this rather bland and uninspiring public declaration to usher in the most sacred day of the year? One might think that we should proclaim our collective commitment to engage in the act of teshuvah (repentance). Perhaps we should seek to have our past transgressions forgiven and ensure that our names be entered into the Book of Life.

The truth is seemingly more prosaic: We state in advance that we should not be held accountable for any vows we might take between now and next Yom Kippur. This probably doesn’t resonate with the modern mind so much, but vows used to be serious business. A vow was much more than simply a promise someone made to another person; it was a sacrosanct commitment that could not be broken.

The Torah outlines in great detail who could make and be held accountable for vows. Much like today’s rules regarding signing a contract, minors (and often women) could not enter into a vow.

In the Book of Jonah (traditionally read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur), after the non-Hebrew sailors throw Jonah overboard and witness the power of God, we read that they “feared God and made vows.”

Nazarites took vows to live a life of holiness, with added restrictions such as the prohibition against drinking any wine.

And even in recent history, it might be common for a person who finds himself in great peril to state, “God, if I survive this situation, I hereby vow to commit myself to a life of strict observance!”

But human nature being what it is, how many vows are actually kept?

The Kol Nidrei service provides a way to let us off the hook. At the precise time when we’re seeking to start anew and wipe the slate clean, we try to stack the deck in our favor for the coming year by annulling any careless promises in advance.

But the message of Kol Nidrei carries a deeper meaning: What we say can be just as consequential as what we do. If we’re truly seeking to change our behavior for the coming year, to become closer to God and to our community, we must begin with how we speak and relate to each other.

Do we engage in lashon hara, speaking of others in a derogatory way?

Do we needlessly intensify discussions with inflammatory comments?

Or do we take the opportunity to express our devotion and commitment to our family?

During the morning liturgy on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we read, “The great shofar is sounded, but a still, small voice is heard.”

Kol Nidrei teaches us that the mere spoken word — our own still, small voice — can be an enormous catalyst for how we choose to live.

Listen to Kol Nidrei here:

Cantor Matt Axelrod has served Congregation Beth Israel of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, since 1990. He is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and a national officer of the Cantors Assembly. Cantor Axelrod is the author of Surviving Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide, and Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays: From Shofar to Seder. You can read his blog at mattaxelrod.com.

The post Kol Nidrei: The Power of Words appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Jews historically have been popular scapegoats — blamed for a wide range of ills not of their creation. But, and we’re not kid-ding, they really do deserve blame (or credit) for the term scapegoat. In Leviticus 16:8 (in the Torah portion Achrei Mot), the High Priest is instructed on Yom Kippur to lay his hands upon a goat while confessing the sins of the entire community — and then to throw the animal off a cliff.

2. Another animal ritual, swinging a chicken around one’s head, has sparked considerable controversy, and not just from animal-rights activists.

In 2015, the kaparot ritual, in which a chicken is symbolically invested with a person’s sins and then slaughtered, spurred two lawsuits in the United States: one by traditional Jews claiming their right to perform it was being abridged by the government and another by animal-rights activists. Centuries earlier, the ritual drew criticism from notable sages like the Ramban (13th century) and Rabbi Joseph Caro (16th century), whose objections had less to do with animal welfare than with religious integrity.

3. Yom Kippur was once a big matchmaking day.

The Talmud states that both Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av (often described as the Jewish Valentine’s Day) were the most joyous days of the year, when women would wear white gowns and dance in the vineyards, chanting, “Young man, lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself. Do not set your eyes on beauty, but set your eyes on a good family.” Given the aforementioned caffeine headaches and the difficulty of making a decision on an empty stomach, we’re glad this particular tradition is no more.

4. Food and drink are not the only things Jews abstain from on Yom Kippur.

Other traditional no-no’s on Yom Kippur include bathing, wearing perfume or lotions, having sexual relations and wearing leather shoes. The less-than-attractive aroma resulting from the first two restrictions (not to mention the romantic restrictions imposed by the third) may explain why the day ceased to an occasion for finding true love.

5. In Israel, Yom Kippur is most bike-friendly day of the year.

Although many Israelis are secular, and there is no law on the books forbidding driving on Yom Kippur, virtually all the country’s Jews avoid their cars on this day. With only the occasional emergency vehicle on the road, bikers of all ages can be seen pedaling, even on major highways. The video above shows how a group of (non-fasting) cyclists seized the opportunity to bike from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and back, “Stopping only for water and to complain about the heat!”

6. Eating a big meal before the holiday begins will make your fast harder, rather than easier.

Traditionally, the meal eaten before beginning the fast is supposed to be large and festive, following the talmudic dictum that it is a mitzvah (commandment) to eat on Erev [the eve of] Yom Kippur, just as it is a mitzvah to fast on Yom Kippur itself. However, eating extra food — particularly in one last-minute feast — does not help to keep you going for 24 hours, says Dr. Tzvi Dwolatzky of Israel’s Rambam Health Care Campus. He suggests eating small amounts of carbohydrates (bread, potato, rice, pasta), some protein (fish, chicken) and fruit.

7. On Yom Kippur in 1940, London’s Jews kept calm and carried on.

In the midst of the Battle of Britain, the relentless Nazi bombardment of London that began in September 1940, the city’s synagogues went on with their Yom Kippur services. According to JTA, while air raid warnings “twice disturbed” morning Yom Kippur services on Oct. 12, 1940, “most synagogues carried on regardless” and a “large proportion of the men attending services wore uniforms of the various forces.”

8. Yom Kippur’s Kol Nidrei services are the only night of the entire Jewish calendar when a prayer shawl is worn for evening prayers.

According to the late Rabbi Louis Jacobs, the tallit (prayer shawl) is worn during Kol Nidrei as “a token of special reverence for the holy day.” It is traditional to wear a tallit or a white garment for the entire holiday, with the color white symbolizing both our spiritual purity and our removing ourselves from the vanities of the material world. Many people actually wear a white robe called a kittel.

9. A Virginia rabbi’s pro-civil rights movement sermon on Yom Kippur in 1958 riled up local segregationists and sparked fears of an anti-Semitic backlash.

JTA reported

that Virginia’s “Defenders of State Sovereignty” group demanded that local Jews “move quickly to refute and condemn” Rabbi Emmet A. Frank of Alexandria’s Temple Beth El for his sermon criticizing the state’s “massive resistance” to school desegregation and said that if had intended to destroy Christian-Jewish relations “he could not have been more effective.” While a “leading member” of the Reform temple reportedly said a “considerable” number of congregants worried Frank’s stand “might result in increased anti-Semitism,” others “sided with the rabbi, holding that he held a spiritual and moral duty to speak out for social justice.” The congregation stood by Frank, and the Washington Post published an editorial calling him a “courageous clergyman.” Learn more about Jews in the Civil Rights movement.

The post 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Yom Kippur appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

And then, a few paragraphs later in the liturgy, in a moment when we are feeling truly vulnerable, we encounter another piyyut, with a shockingly different tone. V’chol Ma’aminim literally means “We All Believe.” Here is a bit of it:

We all believe that God is faithful…knows our deepest feelings…is the steadfast redeemer…

Read the full text of V’chol Ma’aminim in Hebrew on Sefaria.

The theme of this part of the service pivots abruptly from uncertainty (who shall live and who shall die?) to complete faith. Now, rather than wondering out loud our fates for the coming year, knowing that perhaps not all of us will come together again a year hence, we proclaim as a whole (usually in call-and-response with a cantor) statements of utter certainty and faith. God is in charge, there is order in the universe.

The change in message is a jolt, but a welcome one. From the depths of uncertainty we call out the steadfast faith we wish we felt. We together take a deep breath and speak into being the order we crave in our chaotic, uncertain lives.

Even the form of the poem, attributed to the paytan (poet) Yannai (perhaps between the 5^th and 7^th centuries), conveys a message of order and certainty. It’s an acrostic, with a theological statement for each letter of the 21 letters of the alphabet. Sometimes it is laid out in a series of seven stanzas, a perfect number (evocative of the wholeness of God’s creation — brought into being by six days of work and one of rest). Repetitive patterns, rhythmic phrasing, and alliteration — all emphasize the predictability of the natural order. One by one, the verses pronounce God truthful, eternal, singular, a just judge.

At a fragile time like the High Holidays, which are an opportunity for each individual to rehearse his or her own death (a morbid but also deeply meaningful exercise), there is a strong need to confess certainty and belief. The poem seems designed to convey these in every way, but in light of our own experience of a world that is often chaotic and cruel, how can we affirm we “believe” each statement?

The answer is that “belief” might not mean what we think it means. In Hebrew, the root of the word ma’aminim, “we believe,” is more connected to faith than proof of fact. When we are feeling vulnerable we take a leap of faith, resting our minds on God who protects us, upholds justice, and makes sure that we will be cared for.

This period in the Jewish calendar is about more than powerful poetic prayer; it calls each of us to become better versions of ourselves. In parallel, we can imagine how each of our personal efforts can begin to bring the world itself toward wholeness. We can read these verses as a profession of belief not in the existence of a perfectly controlled, ordered universe — but in the possibility of that version of our world, ourselves, and our God. For example, we might fear that we have done something unforgivable, so we remind ourselves that Judaism teaches of a God who is patient, even overlooking the sins of those who are rebellious. Or, we might be filled with self-doubt after a challenging year of disappointments, so we seek comfort in the sturdy reminder that God is the One before whom all are equal.

It is challenging to read this poetic prayer as a literal declaration of belief. It might even be painful to say those words out loud, as we gaze around our broken, messy world. But V’chol Ma’aminim can be read instead as an aspirational proclamation of hope — a commitment to discover light in the darkness, and perhaps to manufacture it for ourselves.

When congregations gather together on the High Holidays to reflect on the passage of time, the services are punctuated with poetic moments such as this, when individuals can call out their deepest yearnings. We follow the guidance that Yannai left for us 1500 years ago, and speak out loud of the justice and order and we crave. In doing so together, we are invited to hear the way in which all of our hopes and wishes reverberate in unison, and together we are invited to bring the order and stability of our dreams into reality.

The post V’chol Ma’amimim: Speaking Order into Chaos appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Not wearing leather, especially leather shoes, is a long-held Yom Kippur tradition. Leather once symbolized luxury and high status, so not wearing it signifies that all people are humbled and equal. The Jewish mystical tradition also suggests that wearing leather shows our dominance — not God’s — over the world.

Many synagogue-goers choose to wear canvas sneakers instead. Some may even be in flip-flops or Crocs. Synthetic materials are also fine — many shoes appear to be made of animal skins but are not.

Wearing white clothing is another widespread Yom Kippur custom. White symbolizes purity and hearkens back to the biblical High Priest who dressed in white linen on Yom Kippur. In Judaism, white is also a color which represents death, and by wearing white we are reminded of our mortality, motivating us to repent further.

In some communities, adults (usually men, but not exclusively!) wear a kittel on Yom Kippur. A Kittel is a long white robe, and those who own them reserve them exclusively for special holidays. Synagogue attendees will also commonly wear a tallit, prayer shawl. In fact, Yom Kippur evening services are the only time a tallit is customarily worn at night.

Most synagogue attendees dress in formal clothing on Yom Kippur (except for their shoes!) but the exact parameters of this vary from congregation to congregation. If you’re worried about the tone of an outfit, it is advisable to ask a friend.  

The post What to Wear on Yom Kippur appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The Avodah service has preserved the quintessential rite of ancient Judaism, the most solemn moment of the Jewish year involving the holiest person (Kohen Gadol), the holiest time (Yom Kippur), and the holiest place (Temple in Jerusalem). Although not one of the pilgrimage festivals on which Jews were biblically required to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16), on Yom Kippur huge throngs of worshipers came to see the awesome ritual and to hear the words of the Kohen Gadol.

Origins of the Service

After the destruction of the Second Temple and the cessation of the sacrificial rites, how could the people achieve atonement? The Rabbis ruled that in this emergency situation, one could perform the Temple duties by reading about them, since the utterance of a person’s lips is equivalent to the actual performance of the ritual.

In addition, the Rabbis were convinced that a yearly recitation of the Yom Kippur ritual in the Temple would give Jews a sense of historical continuity and an intense longing for the restoration of their ancient homeland. The Avodah service was initially just a narration of the Temple ritual on Yom Kippur as related in Mishnah Yoma,but during the Middle Ages, numerous piyyutim were added.

Yom Kippur was the only time during the year when the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Preparation for this event began a week before the Day of Atonement, when the Kohen Gadol went to a designated area of the Temple court to study the sacrificial ritual for Yom Kippur.

Recounting the Actions of the Kohen Gadol

On the day before Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol emerged and was taken to another chamber in the Temple compound, where he met with other priests and continued his study. On the Day of Atonement, the Kohen Gadol, dressed in gold-embroidered garments, conducted the daily cultic rituals. When performing the rituals exclusively associated with the sacrifices of atonement, the Kohen Gadol wore white linen vestments. During the course of the day, he immersed himself and changed his clothes five times and washed his hands and feet 10 times.

The Kohen Gadol first offered a bull as his personal sin offering. He confessed his sins and those of his family, then the sins of the tribe of Aaron (the Kohanim), and finally those of all Israel (Lev. 16:17). Every time the Kohen Gadol uttered the holy name of God (the Tetragrammaton), which was spoken only on Yom Kippur, the people prostrated themselves and responded: “Praised is His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.”

It remains a custom in some communities for worshipers to completely bow down on the floor of the synagogue when this part of the Avodah service is read. A cloth or piece of paper must be placed between one’s head and the floor (not between one’s knees and the floor, as many erroneously do), because it is forbidden to bow down on a stone floor, except in the Temple.

After drawing lots to determine which of the two male goats was sent off to the wilderness for Azazel and which would be sacrificed as a sin offering for the Lord, and after a special incense offering was made in the Holy of Holies, the Kohen Gadol recited a prayer that Israel be blessed with peace, prosperity, and fertility and that no earthquake harm the inhabitants of the Sharon plain (“their houses may not become their graves”). Some modern prayer books used in liberal congregations have minimized the references to sacrifice and either a bridge the Avodah or make it optional.

Reprinted with permission from The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, published by the Jewish Publication Society.

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Rabbis and cantors know this, and they use words and music to stimulate new thoughts and new feelings, but you can take charge of your own new directions. Bringing an iPod with your own music, even if it’s cantorial favorites or neo-Hasidic melodies, would raise too many eyebrows. But bringing our own books — now that’s not considered over the top by anyone. Here’s my hit parade of reading to enhance shul-going and inculcate the sort of contemplation appropriate for the High Holidays.

Our first stop is not far from the Mahzor (the High Holiday prayer book) itself. Reuven Hammer’s Entering the High Holy Days is a book designed to help us find our way among the texts and practices of the traditional prayer service for those days, drawing out their themes and helping us appreciate the artistry that infuses the classic prose and poetry that we recite. There are other surveys and introductions, but Hammer’s is easily approachable and yet not at all superficial. We come away with a much more profound sense of why these are called “the Days of Awe.”

The Days of Awe is, in fact, the title of another work designed to enhance our experience of this ten-day period of reflection and penitence. Nobel Prize-winning Hebrew author S.Y. Agnon was not only a fiction writer in a league he invented and he alone populated; he was also a master anthologist with an encyclopedic knowledge of Jewish literature.

In this collection Agnon draws on that library, especially the stories of the sages, both Hasidic and non-Hasidic, of early modern Eastern Europe, to offer insights into the ways in which Jewish traditions have shaped the days from the onset of the month of Elul through the end of Yom Kippur. Its chapters are bite-sized but spiritually nourishing. Bring it to services and you’ll find yourself passing it down the row repeatedly, in order to share with others the wisdom in this or that vignette.

Beginning Anew may be subtitled “A Woman’s Guide to the High Holy Days,” but this abundant collection, edited by Gail Twersky Reimer and Judith A. Kates, is of no less interest to men. The contributors share insights from women’s experience of the Bible readings and liturgy and rituals of those holy days, insights that truly enrich the occasion for every reader. Some essays are provocative and outrageous, others simply the product of a painstaking reading of ancient texts. This is a volume you’ll keep on your shelf for next year and the year after that as well.

The Ten Days of Teshuvah have been shaped by Jewish tradition as a period of reflection and self-assessment, of asking for forgiveness from our fellow human beings and from God. Solomon Schimmel, a psychologist and a scholar of rabbinic Judaism, brings together many fields of expertise to explore the contours of atonement and forgiveness in his richly documented study, Wounds Not Healed by Time.

Schimmel draws on classical Western traditions — ancient Greek thought, along with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim writings from ancient to modern–and on contemporary experience, such as South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to examine the subtle distinctions between apology and atonement, acknowledgement and absolution, pardon and forgiveness. This is scholarship in the service of spiritual growth. If this is your synagogue reading, you will leave the room a changed person, perhaps with new questions, perhaps with new resolve to live differently.

Another popular work by a consummate scholar is the slim volume on Jonah in the JPS Bible Commentary series, the work of Israeli Bible professor Uriel Simon. In under 100 pages of introduction and line-by-line commentary (as well as an enhanced version of the JPS Tanakh translation of Jonah), Simon brings us past the humor of the Jewish prophet who doesn’t “get it” theologically while all the non-Jewish characters do, and into the core of the book’s message. For the first time, perhaps, you will come to understand why this short, enigmatic book was chosen to be read in its entirety on Yom Kippur afternoon, just before the climax of the High Holiday experience.

If, on the other hand, you want to focus not on the divine realm but on living properly in the here-and-now, have a look at Elliot N. Dorff’s To Do the Right and the Good: A Jewish Approach to Modern Social Ethics. Chapter 8, “Communal Forgiveness,” in particular, while not explicitly addressing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, can give you new perspective on what it takes to really begin anew each year.

For some, only a story can really open heart and soul to new perspectives and new thoughts on how we live our lives. Let me suggest one in particular, a story by Rachel Kadish called “The Argument,” found in the collection Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge, edited by Paul Zakrzewski. Kadish reworks some of the images of old Jewish men familiar in American fiction, but her story is fresh and challenging. Does one forgive or forget past wrongs? Can we repair our relationships and our own souls, or should we be envious of those struck by memory loss? Kadish’s protagonist wrestles with these questions, and through him so do we.

Go online and buy one — many of these titles are available in paperback — or reserve one or two now at your local library. But please, if the rest of us are actually praying, wait for a break to show us the passages you can’t wait to have us read, too.

Reprinted with permission from JBooks.com.

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