Stop! Yom Kippur Resources for a Complete Reset

August 4, 2021

By Yulia Bezrukova, RSJ Jewish Educator and Tanya Zaysteva, N.A RSJ Community Manager
Contributor: Jessica Hermann, Director, Jewish Service Learning

Do you find yourself looking for a meaningful reset, but there is always something important that requires attention and power from you? Are you longing for a deep reflection with values in its core and renewed peace of mind as a result? We are here and we got your back. So much has happened in the last year – both globally and Jewish-ly – and we want to create a space for you to slow down, make a full stop and start again. There is a specific time for this in the Jewish calendar — the holiday of Yom Kippur. This year, Yom Kippur begins at sunset on Wednesday, September 15th and ends at nightfall on Thursday, September 16th, giving us a unique time to process, reflect and move on in the framework of Jewish tradition.

Yom Kippur has many names and meanings behind it: the Day of Atonement, Sabbath of Sabbaths, the Day of Forgiveness and Forgiving. It marks the end of 10 days of repentance started on Rosh Hashanah and gives us a chance to influence what the future holds before the Books of Life and Death are sealed for another year.

We often associate Yom Kippur with the practice of fasting, but there are so many different ways to honor this holiday and find a personal connection with its values. Follow along with our guide to find out more!

Take a deep breath and ask: when was the last time you allowed yourself not only to take things slow but to keep that pace for a while? All drivers know that in order to come to a safe and complete stop, you need to slow down gradually. If Yom Kippur marks a full stop from usual activities, let’s think of ways we can prepare for that and how it potentially influences our communities’ well-being.

+ - Ways to Slow Down

Slow Living lifestyle gathering. You will be surprised to see how many common values there are in Judaism and this particular lifestyle. Asking questions, valuing community, slowing down to make ecological choices, finding beauty in everyday activities and so much more! Learn about the movement and discuss what changes are available for you right now using this “Guide to Slow Living”. You can use it in order to discuss how your Jewish community can implement Slow Living lifestyle elements in order to create more meaningful programs with less effort.
Mindful Journaling. Writing in a journal is the best reflection exercise there can be. Share this article with 7 Writing Prompts for Mindfulness (That You Can Journal in 7 Minutes or Less) by Dave Ursillo with your community members or organize journaling sessions in person. It is a perfect activity for all your guests that balances being together and respecting each other’s boundaries. You can reflect and express your thoughts on paper or share what’s comfortable out loud. Very introvert friendly!
Host a group text study to discuss the difference between Atonement, Forgiveness, and Repentance using this Sefaria sheet. Discussions like this can help you get to know your community members on a deeper level and build trust around mutual values.
Collective Meditation. Prepare for Yom Kippur by looking inward and practicing self-awareness, mindfulness and compassion. Create a series of meetings with guided meditations for your community members. Use this guide from renowned meditation guide Tara Brach to begin hosting a group meditation. This is a great opportunity to look in your local Moishe House community for someone with experience leading similar programs and involve them in the planning process (or even ask them to facilitate).
Kreplach Party – cooking is a sort of meditative process on its own! Kreplach is a classic Erev Yom Kippur meal that requires a few hours to prepare (we have a recipe with the shortcuts too!) and perfect as a fun group activity. You can use one of the recipes below and freeze your kreplach to have it ready for traditional breaking of the Yom Kippur fast or eat it right away:
“The Russian Dumplings to Fall In Love Over” – a vegetarian recipe with an amazing story from Bonnie Frumkin Morales
A classical Chicken Kreplach Soup recipe originated in Eastern Europe and filled with ground or chopped meat or veggies
All the shortcuts in cooking Kreplach you need to know with details on meat, vegetarian or vegan filling

Fasting on Yom Kippur is one of the most distinctive features of this holiday, and it often symbolizes the vehicle to reflect and atone for our sins. Indeed, it is hard to see things clearly while being in movement. Cleansing our emotional and spiritual palette is crucial if we want to stay in tune with ourselves. Here are some sources that will help you and your community stop for that much needed reflection and focus on important inner processes.

+ - Ways to Stop

Staying alone on purpose. Discover the story of an isolated man and how it is connected to the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur: A Quiet Place Where We Can Reason Undisturbed is an inspiring source sheet from Sefaria ready to be a base for your house program. Divide your guests into pairs and host a classic hevrutah (learning in pairs) or have a big circle discussion open for different opinions.
Not sure about fasting? Rabbi Loren Berman, Moishe House Regional Jewish Educator, created an amazing collection of different sources and approaches to this important Jewish practice: Fasting on Yom Kippur? Not so fast for me! Another source to find your approach is Yom Kippur, The Fast of Action. Learn about the meaning, values and alternatives for fasting and choose your own approach!
When Fasting Is Not Teshuvah: Yom Kippur with Eating Disorders (by Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers) – For some of us fasting might not be a way to spend the day and it is all right, the intention of honoring Yom Kippur might be enough. Take a look at this ritual of creating intention while still providing your body with nourishment during this day.
Yom Kippur Values in Quotes. This Yom Kippur Cheat Sheet from JewBelong is an amazing collection of quotes illustrating all sorts of values, emotions and themes contributing to the true Yom Kippur experience. Flip through it on your own or read with your community members while sharing how you understand and relate to each of the texts.
How to find Joy in Yom Kippur? That’s a wonderful question to think about and we are happy to share this Yom Kippur Walking Meditation from Moishe House created by Yitzhak Bronstein. It shows the joyful part of the holiday, provides you with the tools for self-reflection and a hopeful vibe for the beginning of the new Jewish year.
Do, Talk, Read, Listen: A Multi-Sensory Guide to the High Holidays is a ready to use program created by MHWOW host Leah Jalfon. It offers a set of program ideas on the main themes of Yom Kippur: sins, repentance and God. It is interactive, diverse, inclusive and we love it!
Bella Chagall “Burning Lights”. Marc Chagall is a very well known Jewish artist from Belarus, but he was not the only star of the family. Knowing Yiddish, Russian and French languages, his wife and muse, Bella, decided to share a picture of her Jewish upbringing in a book called “Burning Lights” (written originally in Yiddish). There are stories about her memories of hometown Vitebsk, Jewish holidays and family traditions. There is one about Yom Kippur as well. It is a perfect chance to have a glance into the beginning of the 20th century and Bella’s own family preparing for Yom Kippur: crying about, fearing and celebrating the Day of Atonement in a traditional Ashkenazi way.

What’s next? What kind of changes and experiences are we willing to create for ourselves and our communities after we had a meaningful reflection and deep discussions? This list of program ideas will give you some inspiration and practical tools for the online and in-person Yom Kippur programming.

+ - Ways to Restart

Break the Fast Together. Communal break fasts are a beautiful Yom Kippur tradition that lets us meet after a state of silence and solitude. Host a gathering with lots of food and conversations around Jewish food traditions. Ask everyone to bring their favorite meals and use “Jewish approach to eating 101” materials about Jewish food traditions from Moishe House as a prompt for the table discussions. You can easily host it online or ask someone to facilitate a culinary workshop for everyone. Do you want to make a series of meetings about food consumption and ecology? Here is another source from the global Slow Food organization with a lot of publications and initiatives on conscious eating and its effect on the environment.
People Appreciation Day. Invite people (online or in-person) for a happiness boosting activity. Check out this clip and host an event for your community members to write a letter to someone they appreciate dearly. Here are some questions and bullet points that can help with structuring such a message. You can provide your guests with colourful paper, envelopes and pre-purchased stamps or postmarks for those who won’t be able to deliver it in person. You can also finish your day by writing to refugees around the globe. Use this great online resource where you can easily write a note for volunteers to translate your message into the local language and give your warm words to those who need them very much!
Take a long walk in nature alone or with someone close to you! It is ok to stay silent for a while and just absorb nature, trying to calm down your spirit and body. Watch the clouds pass, the waves roll, the grass move with the wind. Nature heals our body and soul and allows us to feel connected to the seasons and passage of time.
Tiny Changes with Big Results. This inspiring video interview with James Clear shares light on the potential of habits and how they shape our life. How to create systems to rely on, why goals don’t matter, how to create a sequence of small steps that will bring you to big positive results you want? Watch by yourself or with your community and implement all of the tools right away.

+ - Financial Resources

Moishe House Residents may be eligible for extra funding from Moishe House for High Holidays programs. Please contact your Moishe House Community Manager for more information about how to apply for High Holiday Grants.

Every Moishe House Resident and MHWOW Host has access to our Jewish Learning Scholarship to explore Jewish learning opportunities. Please contact your Moishe House Community Manager or MHWOW Program Manager for more information about how to apply for a Jewish Learning Scholarship.

Looking for a way to get more out of the High Holidays this year, wherever you are?
Use our Days of Awe Toolkit to enhance your experience, on your own or with your community!

View The Days of Awe PDF