Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit Wall. Learn More ->

Search
Close this search box.

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.

Latest Rituals

Rabbi Lisa S. Greene’s Vidui captures the struggles of 2024.
two people sitting on a bench
“As the gates close / May I remember / To move forward…”
the sky through a circular window in a wall
“We come from the Ayn Sof as broken shards of creation…”
a picture of the cosmos, a swirling round planet
“Hide them / beneath the cover of Your wings, forever, / And let their souls be bound up with ours…”
a flock of birds flying across a blue sky
“Especially on Yom Kippur — we are singing for our lives in community.”
an open book with words and musical notes
Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde shares a timely teaching for the High Holidays.
Dreaming Against the Current Exploring Spiritual Modalities - Dec22 - ForWeb
“What else can we do/Expect hold to the promise / That we will be met / Beyond the gates, / In the field, / By love?”
a golden field, dotted with green plants. Small hills and blue skies lie beyond the field
“…help us have mercy on ourselves; and renew our lives so that we may build on the work we have begun.”
a red poemgranate with green leaves
“May my past deeds, / The best and worst of me / Bring me back to the Wholeness…”
an arch in a beautiful synagogue
“With kindness, hope and strength Trusting in your process / May your insights become clear / Lifting you back to Divine Wisdom…”
close up of person's hands on their chest outdoors in sunlight

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Join the Ritualwell community to read and discuss examples of hope expressed in writing through song, story, humor and metaphor that will stir you to think about where hope lives within you.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network