Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashana: Get Involved

The Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur

On Rosh Hashana we gather as a family (except during Corona times), buy new garments, have festive family meals, eat apples and honey, recite שהחינו – the prayer thanking God for enabling us to reach this joyful occasion, gather together for the Tashlich ceremony and wish all a שנה טובה ומתוקה – a sweet new year...

Erev Yom Kippur

The preparations for Yom Kippur are awe-inspiring. Just as one is required to fast on Yom Kippur, one is obligated to eat on the day before the holiday. We are confident that our teshuva (repentance) to a forgiving and compassionate God will justify His looking favorably upon us...

Kol Nidre

Yom Kippur begins with one of the most dramatic moments in the entire Jewish calendar – the Kol Nidre service which must actually be completed before Yom Kippur begins; that is, before sundown! The technical purpose of Kol Nidre (all vows) is to request the annulment of vows and since one may not attend to legal matter on a holiday, the service is held prior to the actual beginning of this sacred day...

The Morning Service and the Torah Reading

The morning service is similar to the Rosh Hashana service with the exception of the Amidah which includes the confessionals described above and hymns unique to the day. Two Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark and six people are called to the Torah...

The Yom Kippur Afternoon Service

With the deferral of Ashrei (אשרי) to the Neilah service, the Mincha service begins with the reading of the Torah (Leviticus 18). See the Talking Torah section for a full explanation of this reading...