Yom Kippur

Person wrapped in a white and gold prayer shawl, holding it close to their chest.

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

I wish for you an Elul that is full of future-tense language.
the sun shines behind some clouds in a golden sky
A water ritual for beginning the fast of Yom Kippur
White-skinned hands grasp a glass of blue water
“How do you steer this thing? / Which end is helm and which is the stern?”
small yellow boat floating on water
The sacrificial goat shares a nuanced view of this Yom Kippur tradition.
goat on mountain ledge
“But beat gentle, sinners and you, / you few righteous ones.”
man's fist on his chest
person with long hair facing away with black and rainbow kippah blowing shofar
“May my words be embodied. / May my life be lived as prayer.”
woman blowing a handful of confetti into the night
“This is the yahrzeit of the Life we lived before”
young man in black t-shirt and pants shown from behind standing at curtained window, parting the curtain and looking outside. Curtain is a gauzy white and there is a black area to the right, creating a stark white and black effect to the scene.
“A loving reminder / To hold myself with compassion”
Person in a white shirt holding their chest with both hands outdoors at sunset, suggesting chest pain.
“we wander in the wilderness of our minds / Searching for the illusive path”
silhouette of woman standing before lake with dark trees in the background reflected in the lake. her arms are spread wide.

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