The liturgy of the High Holidays, intended to facilitate individual connection with the Divine, alienates many women and girls. The masculine hierarchical God-language so prevalent in High Holiday liturgy can be painful and distancing. The following suggestions are offered as an attempt to restore the empowering potential of the High Holidays for those who have felt diminished, uninterested, and/or angered by traditional High Holiday prayer. They can be integrated into your High Holiday experience regardless of the shape your observance takes. Use them in synagogue, at home, with others, or alone.
TRADITION Women from Jewish SephardicJews of Spanish descent; sometimes used to describe Jews of North-African and Middle-Eastern descent. The term also describes the customs and practices of these Jews, often in comparison to those of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews. and Middle Eastern communities have long contributed to the celebration of Rosh HashanahThe Jewish New Year, also considered the Day of Judgment. The period of the High Holidays is a time of introspection and atonement. The holiday is celebrated with the sounding of the shofar, lengthy prayers in synagogue, the eating of apples and honey, and round challah for a sweet and whole year. Tashlikh, casting bread on the water to symbolize the washing away of sins, also takes place on Rosh Hashana. by preparing special foods. Chosen for their symbolism, these foods are eaten as part of a mini–Rosh Hashanah sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. preceding the night meal. For example, the cooked head of a fish or lamb ensures that we will “head” into the year successfully; beet root keeps enemies at bay.
SUGGESTION Creatively re-appropriate this custom and involve children of all ages at your table. Choose foods that symbolize what you are looking to introduce into your life and community.
TRADITION While reciting a litany of wrong doings, many beat the chest area with their fists.
SUGGESTION Either as an alternative or as an addition, use a comforting motion like patting your heart or come up with your own ritual way of physicalizing your recognition of imperfections. If you spend most of the year beating up on yourself, use Yom KippurThe holiest day of the Jewish year and the culmination of a season of self-reflection. Jews fast, abstain from other worldly pleasures, and gather in prayers that last throughout the day. Following Ne'ilah, the final prayers, during which Jews envision the Gates of Repentance closing, the shofar is sounded in one long blast to conclude the holy day. It is customary to begin building one's sukkah as soon as the day ends. to do the opposite. You can become aware of ways you’ve missed the mark without punishing yourself.
TRADITION More than any other series of holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur rely heavily on imagery of God as a King and Ruler. Comparatively, human beings are described as “dust of the earth” and “clay in the potter’s hands.”
SUGGESTION Consider using alternative and/or additional prayers and images. If you don’t feel comfortable with new liturgy, take a look at Ki Anu Amekha, a traditional liturgical poem that can be found in most makhzorim (High Holiday prayer books) which describes the relationship between God and people with a surprising range of images. If you are looking for new images, see Marcia Falk’s Book of Blessings, Sallie McFague’s Models of God, and JudithJudith saved her people by seducing Holofernes, the enemy general, and then decapitating him. The story of Judith, found in the apocrypha, is associated with Chanukah (relating to the tradition of eating cheese dishes because she seduced the general and fed him dairy). Her Hebrew name is Yehudit. Plaskow’s Standing Again at SinaiAccording to the Torah, God, in the presence of the Jewish people, gave Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai (Har Sinai). for a good beginning. If you are a synagogue member you may want to think about joining the Ritual Committee.
SUGGESTION Assert your ownership of tradition and dare to experiment with new forms of observance instead of abandoning it completely. Draw on examples from your own life as a means of considering new ways of relating to the Divine.
SUGGESTION In addition to thinking about liturgical images, use the music of the High Holiday services to transcend language and make possible a different level of connection and spirituality. Music plays a central role in religious expression and is as much a part of the tradition of the High Holiday liturgy as the words themselves. Try to experience the Divine Presence through melody and song.
SUGGESTION Find inspiration by reading about the biblical character HannahHannah is the mother of the prophet Samuel, who, through her prayers, is rewarded a child. She herself is also considered a prophet. Hannah's intense devotional style of prayer becomes the model, in rabbinic Judaism, for prayer in general., the heroine of Rosh Hashanah’s first day HaftarahThe portion of the books of the prophets read on Shabbat after the Torah reading. The two usually have parallel themes. (prophetic portion). Though her whispered words were misunderstood by male authority, Hannah’s heartfelt prayer was heard and responded to by God, and she eventually became the rabbinic model for sincere worship.
SUGGESTION Spend time thinking about the core values underlying traditional High Holiday liturgy: humility; balance among all people; and power to decide our own fates. Rather than focusing on specific terms and formulaic language, concentrate on these fundamental themes.
SUGGESTION Think about the effect on the community, and on children in particular, of participating in a service conducted entirely or almost entirely by men. Does your community’s leadership reflect the liturgy’s assumption that ultimate power is male? How can you actively counter that assumption? Consider assuming leadership positions in your community.
SUGGESTION Encourage students and children to let their imaginations roam free when trying to comprehend the Divine. Talk with them about the meaning of metaphor; explore the images they like most.
SUGGESTION Let your rabbi(s) know if you want issues of God language to be addressed from the bimahThe stage or platform on which the person leading prayers stands. (pulpit).
