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.
A mikveh ceremony with kavannot and chants intended to greet Yom Kippur “in friendship with an undefended heart”
A ritual to help begin the transformation of a bad habit to something that is healthy and life-affirming
A Yom Kippur prayer for those suffering from drought and food shortages in the Horn of Africa
A prayer reminding us to stay open so that we come closer to the divine
Incorporating Miriam’s Cup, spring water, and blessings of renewal into our rituals for breaking the fast
Prayers and kavannot for those who should not fast
A poem expressing the intensity of our journey through the Jewish calendar, from Tisha b’Av through Simchat Torah
In this video, learn the fundamentals of how to blow the shofar from Paul Root Wolpe, Ph.D.
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