Yom Kippur

Home » Holidays » High Holidays » Yom Kippur » Page 14

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

May polar bears swim safely / to the ice flows, and may we love / our way back to soft tickling cheeks, / hot breath, moist lips
An alternate version of Al Chet and Ashamnu for the #MeToo era
my bones / my spirit / my heart / cry out for grace
Reflection prompts for the seven weeks between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashanah using the sefirot

A poem preparing oneself for Yom Kippur

To see what it looks like to put ourselves together again.

Envision a shofar made of pure light

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

Get the latest from Ritualwell

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

The Reconstructionist Network