Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur 2018 will begin at sundown on September 18 and conclude September 19 at sundown.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comprise the “High Holy Days” of the Jewish calendar, and are the festivals that begin the new Jewish year.
Yom Kippur, which translates to “day of atonement”, is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It has undergone significant change due to the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. A festival once marked by sacrificial practice has been modernized into a day of reflection and repentance, fasting and forgiveness, and ushering in a clean slate for the New Year ahead. Yom Kippur begins with the Kol Nidre service (in Hebrew, “all vows”) and continues on to a 25-hour period of fasting and worship, during which many wear white to symbolize purity and the spiritual cleansing of the holy day. Yom Kippur concludes with a final blowing of the shofar and breaking the fast with family and friends!
We invite the entire community to observe Yom Kippur at Rockdale Temple. Services are available for children, families, and adults. Click here to learn more about the High Holy Days at Rockdale!
If you are unable to attend High Holy Day services at Rockdale, you now have the option to tune in at home on your computer! Click here for access to live-streaming services!
Scroll down for great Yom Kippur information, how-tos, activities, mitzvah opportunities, music videos, recipes, and more!
BLESSINGS FOR HOME & SYNAGOGUE
Yom Kippur Blessings for Starting Observance
Perspectives on Avinu Malkeinu
Meditation for One who Cannot Fast
MORE ABOUT YOM KIPPUR
What is the Meaning of the High Holy Days?
Explore Yom Kippur at ReformJudaism.org
What to Expect When you are Repenting
LEARNING FOR ADULTS
Repair and Apology: What Does Judaism Teach Us?
Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals
Chocolate Outs Jews on Yom Kippur
A Collective Confession for Parents on Yom Kippur
Torah and Haftarah Readings for the High Holy Days
D’var Torah: Sometimes we are Jonah
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Readings - with Social Justice Themes
ACTIVITIES & VIDEOS FOR CHILDREN
Rockdale’s Gabe and Gesher the Goat Learn about Yom Kippur
How to Ready your Young Child for Yom Kippur
Tips to Engage Your Family in the New Jewish Year
SORRY: The Hardest, And Perhaps Most Powerful, Word
YOM KIPPUR MITZVAH OPPORTUNITIES
Social Justice and the High Holy Days
A High Holy Days Social Justice Guide
Give to MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
OBSERVE YOM KIPPUR WITH MUSIC
Why is the Music Different during the High Holidays?
May you be Sealed by Ellen Allard (kids)
RECIPES
Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Whipped Honey
Yom Kippur - What to Eat?