Kol Nidrei, the prayer which ushers in the Holy Day of Yom Kippur, is perhaps the most famous one in our liturgy. Ironically, it is not really a prayer at all, but rather a statement. A statement that deals with promises, vows, and other verbal commitments commonly made in the course of the year.

Yom Kippur is the most solemn and introspective day on the Jewish calendar. It emphasizes personal responsibility for one’s actions. Jewish tradition teaches that to atone for deeds committed against another person you must approach that person directly and apologize.

The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the traditional time to ask forgiveness from one’s friends and neighbors, so that on Yom Kippur one can attain forgiveness and purification for all misdeeds. The act of atonement makes the claim that as human beings we are able to change and improve ourselves.

On Yom Kippur we strive to improve our relationships both with other human beings and with God. The most prominent tradition of the Yom Kippur holiday is a 25-hour fast from all food and drink from sunset to sundown the next day. The holiday ends with a festive break-the-fast meal.

This event is in-person at Nevei Kodesh, and live-streamed on Zoom. To register for this event, please fill out a registration form below.