Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the year, the Jewish holiday where our souls are the closest to God). Yom Kippur marks the end of the ten-day period of reflection that began on Rosh Hashanah and gives us a chance to influence what the future holds before we enter another year.
It is the one day of the year where the focus is solely on self-reflection and fasting in acknowledgment of the sins we have committed and to seek forgiveness for the ways we have wronged ourselves, God, and each other. Our community builders often turn to the resources provided by our Jewish Educators and Jewish Life Specialists for guidance on how to make Jewish holidays, text, and traditions more relatable and accessible for their peer group.
At the end of the 25-hour fast, Jewish families and communities come together to break the fast, renewed by the reflective experience of the day. In the Moisheverse we have several communities gathering to share a break fast experience together this year: In the U.K., Moishe House London – Clapham, Moishe House London – Kilburn, and Moishe House London – Hackney are hosting break fast events with local community members. In the U.S., Moishe House Atlanta – Cabbagetown, Moishe House Boston-Cambridge Central Square, Moishe House Chicago-Lincoln Park, Moishe House Denver, Moishe Pod-Cincinnati and others in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., will host similar programming.
How can we fully ask forgiveness for our missteps? While it is impossible to list every transgression we may have committed, in the following video, Moishe House Jewish Life Specialist Caleb Brommer provides some insight into how we can attempt to acknowledge our wrongs in the form the Viduy (confessional) prayer which is an alphabetical acrostic.
G’mar chatima tovah! May you be sealed in the book of life.
View Caleb’s Yom Kippur Message
*Here are some additional resources from our Jewish education team to guide you through your holiday observance:
Yom Kippur Book of Jonah Reading Discussion Guide
Yom Kippur Resources for a Complete Reset
Masthead image credit: MyJewishLearning.com
