This Coming Shabbat

In place of our usual This Coming Shabbat email, I wanted to share some traditions associated with Yom Kippur. Because this is a day of atonement for our sins and misdeeds over the past year, we check in with family and friends beforehand to apologize for any harm they may have caused. Many people also have a tradition of donating to charity to add one last good deed to their ledger before they are judged.

Why do we fast on Yom Kippur? The Torah tells us this is a day for self-denial. According to the Mishna, this means abstaining from food and drink, from sex, from bathing or shaving, and from luxuries like wearing leather shoes. However, those who are unable to fast for health reasons (including mental health) are commanded to eat.

Kol Nidrei services are the one time of year that Jews can wear a tallit at evening services; feel free to engage with this custom this Friday night! Many Jews also have a Yom Kippur tradition of wearing white (the color of purity and of funeral shrouds) throughout the holiday as a way to consider what their lives amount to, as though this were their last day on earth.

Yom Kippur services end with a loud shofar blast. Those who have a shofar are invited to bring them to Neila services on Saturday night to join in the tekiah gedolah!

For an adorable rendition of Avenu Malkenu, check out this fabulous kid.

And for those in a more contemplative mood, Leonard Cohen’s powerful take on the Unetaneh Tokef prayer. 

Please join us in person or on Livestream or YouTube for Kol Nidrei services this Friday evening at 6 pm, Yom Kippur morning services at 8:45 am, and Ask the Rabbi session at around 3 pm, and Mincha and Neila services beginning around 4:20 pm Saturday afternoon. Please check the High Holiday section of our website for service times, and remember to bring your tickets (and fobs) to make things easier for our wonderful greeters and ushers. If you’re joining us from home,
you can use the Livestream, YouTube, and Zoom icons on that page to get to the video feed. 

Wishing you all a good inscription in the Book of Life.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Lisa Feld

We encourage you to sponsor a kiddush to mark a simcha, celebrate a birthday, anniversary, commemorate a yahrzeit, honor an individual's accomplishment, or just to enhance our Shabbat. Since not every kiddush is sponsored, we hope you will consider a contribution to the kiddush fund so we can provide a kiddush every week. All sponsors are much appreciated and will be acknowledged.

We have streamlined this process to make it easier than ever--
come see our new kiddush sponsorship page on the website!