Yom Kippur

Home » Holidays » High Holidays » Yom Kippur » Page 3

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

“Birth canal of sound / Twisting and spiraling through time and space…”
Dedicated to Linda Hirschhorn and inspired by her sermon on Unetaneh Tokef 5765
“Who will I be / as this stormy year unfolds?”
“I didn’t fast on Yom Kippur / But I mended my relationship with my spouse and children by being present in the moment and honest about my feelings in a positive way…”
An original Al cheit prayer focused on reproductive rights
“Today, do not take your hunger for granted, and likewise, do not take your food tomorrow as a given…”
“May we never forget that we are all connected, historically, relationally, energetically, and that harm to one is harm to all.”
“I leave my safe haven / this night of purity and sighs”
“there’s a message in my muscles but the pain is too loud for me to hear”
“We signed on to a covenant: / If we take care of the earth / it will take care of us.”

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