Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit(Yiddish) The anniversary of a death, usually marked by the lighting of a 24-hour yahrzeit candle and the recitation of Kaddish, the memorial prayer. For U.S. Jews, the unveiling of the headstone usually takes place on or around the first yahrzeit. Wall. Learn More ->
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., the Day of Atonement, falls ten days after 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.. When the Temple stood in JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming “the eternal capital of Israel.” Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled., 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 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.
A prayer to be said when a parent feels tried by the job of parenting
A Yom Kippur prayer that mourns those lost in the Holocaust
A variety of candle lighting blessings, traditional and modern, for holidays
A possible comfort for one who shouldn’t fast due to health
Some find the Yom Kippur liturgy, with its litany of sins, onerous, particularly for women. This text serves as a counterpoint to the traditional Al Het (confession) affirming our goodness alongside our sins.
Join the Ritualwell community to explore rituals that will bring a sense of sacred awareness to your Thanksgiving table and into your everyday life!
Jewish practices provide us with valuable frameworks to foster awareness and joy through gratitude.
Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.