Category: Yom Kippur

High Holiday Message 5786

Dear Friends: I’ve experienced earthquakes twice in my life, and though fortunately they were both mild, I found each experience remarkably terrifying. Supposedly, there is ...
September 16, 2025 Elul Holidays

What Taking Up Chess Taught Me About Teshuvah

How can chess overlap with teshuvah? We can focus a lot on the "best moves" to make for every situation we find ourselves in.
April 25, 2025 Daily Living Every Day
Am I Poor of Deeds? Yom Kippur Sermon 5785

Am I Poor of Deeds? – Yom Kippur Sermon 5785

In a challenging year, the statement in the prayer Hineni haunts me: "Here am I, poor of deeds." But is this true? Am I poor ...
December 15, 2024 Holidays Yom Kippur
Considerations for Yom Kippur During or Immediately Following a Hurricane

Considerations for Yom Kippur During or Immediately Following a Hurricane

What to do on Yom Kippur during/after a hurricane. In all matters of Jewish law, the preservation of human life is of primary concern. Period. 
, October 9, 2024 Holidays Yom Kippur
How should I eat on Yom Kippur if I cannot fast?

How should I eat on Yom Kippur if I cannot fast?

What should I do if I need to eat on Yom Kippur? How can I honor the spirit of the day while providing my body ...
October 8, 2024 Food Holidays
The American Altar

The American Altar

A poetic commentary and reflection on A Racial Justice Vidui/Confessional for 5785/2024's High Holiday Season.
, October 8, 2024 Yom Kippur Yom Kippur in Synagogue
A Racial Justice ViduiConfessional

A Racial Justice Vidui/Confessional

We offer this contemporary “Ashamnu,” confession, for this moment. Some of the sins are ours, others are part of society's complex systems.
September 23, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
Promoting Isaiah On Yom Kippur

Promoting Isaiah On Yom Kippur

Engaging with Operation Isaiah is a demand to eliminate the scourge of hunger. May we see the day when healthy food is available to all.
, September 23, 2024 Food High Holidays
Social Justice Commission High Holiday Reader 5785

Social Justice Commission High Holiday Reader 5785

Our tradition teaches: the sound of the shofar can literally break down the walls, both physical and spiritual. It can shatter complacency and indifference.
September 23, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
The Danger of the Divine

The Danger of the Divine

Yom Kippur is a reminder about yirah, about awe. God is here, powerful, and dangerous. The best response to that is a sense of yirah. 
September 20, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
Balance Espiritual y Arrepentimiento

Balance Espiritual y Arrepentimiento

Fasting, praying, and ancient rituals invite and inspire us to begin Ḥeshbon Hanefesh and perform sincere Teshuvah.
September 20, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
Spiritual Balance and Teshuvah

Spiritual Balance and Teshuvah

Fasting, praying, and ancient rituals invite and inspire us to begin Ḥeshbon Hanefesh and perform sincere Teshuvah.
, September 20, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
7 Things To Do During The Yom Kippur Prayers

7 Things To Do During The Yom Kippur Prayers

Yom Kippur is 25 hours of fasting, hundreds of prayers, and thousands of words. Here are 7 things you can do to make it more ...
September 19, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
How to Prevent High Holiday Burnout

How to Prevent High Holiday Burnout

The delicate balancing act of celebrating and observing the High Holidays can be mixed with a bit of overwhelm. Here's what you can do.
September 17, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
The power of memory making

The Power of Memory-Making

Memory-making, the way we tell ourselves our story, the way we frame our history, offers the opportunity to give us power and, ultimately, hope.
September 17, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
NAM Page cover

High Holiday Reader 5785: Not A Mahzor

Exploring Judaism's 2024 (5785) High Holiday Reader, Not A Machzor, includes essays to inspire a meaningful Holiday season.
September 13, 2024 High Holidays Holidays
How To Get Religious Accommodations At Work

How To Get Religious Accommodations At Work

Want to know your rights as a Jew in the workplace? Need religious accommodations? Find out what your rights are and how to exercise them.
September 9, 2024 Elul Government
Listener of Prayer

Listener of Prayer

"Listener of Prayer" is an important phrase in many of our blessings and prayers. Learn more about why that is.
July 3, 2024 Amidah Every Day
Doing Teshuvah Outside of Communal Prayers

Doing Teshuvah Outside of Communal Prayers

This teshuvah, written at a time when gathering was not possible, explores doing teshuvah outside of communal prayers.
February 5, 2024 Elul Holidays
How to Forgive

How to Forgive (Kol Nidrei)

When the time of Yom Kippur is upon us, we talk a lot about forgiveness. Saying "sorry" is easy—how do we forgive?
November 5, 2023 High Holidays Holidays
Non-Fasting Sh"tz on Yom Kippur

Non-Fasting Sh”tz on Yom Kippur

When should we use a non-fasting sh"tz on Yom Kippur? This CJLS teshuvah, originally written by Rabbi Gail Labovitz, explains.
September 28, 2023 CJLS Halakhah
Remembering Our Loved Ones Before Us

Remembering Our Loved Ones Before Us

When our loved ones die, who remembers those they remembered? Here's a way to remember all of those that came before us.
September 21, 2023 Death and Dying Family
The Discomfort of Yom Kippur

The Discomfort of Yom Kippur

As we discuss our traditions and requirements on Yom Kippur, we encounter discomforts that allow us to think about the past year.
September 7, 2023 High Holidays Holidays
Celebrating the High Holy Days From Home

Celebrating the High Holy Days From Home

Celebrating the high holy days from home gives us ample opportunity to bring the sacred even further into our lives.
August 13, 2023 Elul High Holidays

Fasting While Ill

It is considered forbidden to fast on fast days if injurious to one’s health, for the sake of performing positive commandments.
, May 10, 2023 Fasting on Tisha B'av Health
Ne'ilah

Ne’ilah

Ne’ilah is an additional service, recited only at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. It signifies the sealing of the Book of Life.
, October 4, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Minḥah on Yom Kippur

Minḥah on Yom Kippur

Minhah, the Afternoon Service, begins with the Torah service, including selections from Leviticus and the haftarah on the Book of Jonah.
, October 4, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Yom Kippur Musaf Service

Yom Kippur Musaf Service

The Yom Kippur Musaf Service includes two services: the Avodah service and the Martyrology service. Musaf follows Yizkor and Torah reading.
, October 4, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Yom Kippur Candle Lighting

Yom Kippur Candle Lighting

Following the Yom Kippur meal, candles are lit in a similar fashion to those lit on Rosh Hashanah. A Yizkor candle is also lit.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Yom Kippur Evening Service

Yom Kippur Evening Service

Maariv, the evening service, following Kol Nidrei on Erev Yom Kippur, is similar in many ways to daily Maariv but has notable differences.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Yom Kippur Morning Services

Yom Kippur Morning Services

The Yom Kippur morning service is similar to Rosh Hashanah, with the exception of the Amidah and the selections for the Torah service.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Erev Yom Kippur and the Customs Preceding It

Erev Yom Kippur and the Customs Preceding It

Preparations on Erev Yom Kippur are intrinsic to the awe-inspiring observance of the day: a special meal, candle lighting, and charity.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Kol Nidrei and Being Imperfect Together

Kol Nidrei and Being Imperfect Together

Yom Kippur begins with the dramatic Kol Nidrei service, intended to annul vows made between yourself and God.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Yom Kippur Yizkor Service

Yom Kippur Yizkor Service

The Memorial Service, Yizkor, is recited on Yom Kippur, one of four times throughout the year, to remember loved ones and Jewish martyrs.
, October 3, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Navigating Yom Kippur with Toddlers and Young Children

Navigating Yom Kippur with Toddlers and Young Children

Yom Kippur with young children can be a challenge. Here are some tips for making the holiday meaningful for them and for you.
September 22, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Why Do We Read Jonah On Yom Kippur?

Why Do We Read Jonah On Yom Kippur?

With lessons on failure, the value of admitting our mistakes, and allowing ourselves and others to apologize, the Book of Jonah has much to teach ...
September 22, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Are There Only Ten Days of Repentance Each Year?

Are There Only Ten Days of Repentance Each Year?

Teshuvah in the 10 days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are sacred days, but what about the days before and beyond those?
September 19, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
5 Myths about T’shuvah

5 Myths about T’shuvah

Five myths that we tell ourselves about t'shuvah that keep us from doing it skillfully or doing it at all.
September 19, 2022 Elul High Holidays
Dress to Impress Yourself…Into the Book of Life

Dress to Impress Yourself…Into the Book of Life

Sara Beth Berman teaches us: Everything you need to know about clothing the body that holds your precious soul for the High Holidays.
September 19, 2022 Clothing High Holidays
What to Read to Prepare for the High Holidays this Year

What to Read to Prepare for the High Holidays this Year

Rabbi Mordechai Rackover recommends these reads to help you prepare for the themes, liturgy, and spirit of the High Holidays.
September 16, 2022 Elul High Holidays
Could The Terminator Do Teshuvah?

Could The Terminator Do Teshuvah?

Rabbi Dan Ornstein teaches us: human freedom is ineradicable and that our dignity is predicated upon our moral responsibility.
September 16, 2022 High Holidays Holidays
Why Do We Ask for Forgiveness in Elul?

Why Do We Ask for Forgiveness in Elul?

Asking for forgiveness not only cultivates empathy and humility, but it provides an opportunity for renewal.
September 7, 2022 Elul High Holidays
The Days Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

The Days Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance and include the Fast of Gedaliah.
, September 7, 2022 High Holidays Holidays