Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the High Priest effected atonement for the entire people through an elaborate ritual. Today, in the absence of the Temple, each of us stands, alone, together, naked as it were, before God.

Yom Kippur is the dramatic culmination of the entire season of teshuvah, repentance. On Yom Kippur, Jews abstain from eating, drinking, bathing, sexual relations, and the wearing of leather (a sign of luxury) for 25 hours. Jews dress in white and traditionally spend most of the day in synagogue.

Photo by Jordan Cassway

Remembering Dulcie of Worms in the Martyrology

By Rabbi Leah Novick, adapted by Susan Sapiro | Article

An addition to the Eyleh Ezkerah martyrology section of the Yom Kippur service, this is a short biography of a learned and accomplished medieval Jewish woman who was murdered during the Crusades. [more]

Found In: Yom Kippur

Tags: martyrology

Al Chet for Parents

By Yonit Kosovske | Prayer

Original prayer recognizing the ways in which parents may have missed the mark with their children. [more]

Found In: Yom Kippur

Tags: al chet

T'filla

By Tamara Cohen | Article

The masculine hierarchical God-language so prevalent in High Holiday liturgy can be painful and distancing. This article offers suggestions to restore the empowering potential of the High Holidays for those who have felt diminished, uninterested, and/or angered by traditional High Holiday prayer. [more]