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Soulvivor Guide 5776
! THE H.A. YOM KIPPUR SOULVIVOR GUIDE 5776 ! !1 Dear Reader, There is one mitzvah that a person who has never sinned can ever accomplish, that is the mitzvah of teshuva. The very day of Yom Kippur calls upon us to reach deep within ourselves and to return to our ultimate source, Hashem. It is a tremendous gift that hashem accepts our teshuva. It is an even greater gift that it is considered a mitzvah! I once had a student who said “I know Rabbi how bad I was and I am sorry!” I responded by saying YOU are not bad only your actions. This student’s mistake is one we often make. While regret is an essential part of the teshuva process we must not confuse that with shame, the error of thinking that we are our actions and therefore we are bad. Hashem’s acceptance of our teshuva is a testament of his love for us. It reaffirms the notion that our essence is and always will be pure. Yom Kippur we are given stronger tools to polish our neshamot and reach ever greater heights of connection to Hashem. It is my hope that this Soulvivor Guide will enrich your Yom Kippur and encourage you to return! This booklet was written by fourteen young men and women in Hebrew Academy High School. These !2 creative students voluntarily took their time to contribute and create this wonderful and insightful guide. The students and I would like to thank Ms. Tia Ayrton for her wonderful input. We would also like to thank the teachers and staff for all their support and creative ideas. -
Rosh Hashanah Jewish New Year
ROSH HASHANAH JEWISH NEW YEAR “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to the LORD.” (Lev. 23:23-25) ROSH HASHANAH, the first day of the seventh month (the month of Tishri), is celebrated as “New Year’s Day”. On that day the Jewish people wish one another Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year. ש נ ָׁהָׁטוֹב ָׁה Rosh HaShanah, however, is more than a celebration of a new calendar year; it is a new year for Sabbatical years, a new year for Jubilee years, and a new year for tithing vegetables. Rosh HaShanah is the BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD, the anniversary of creation—a fourfold event… DAY OF SHOFAR BLOWING NEW YEAR’S DAY One of the special features of the Rosh HaShanah prayer [ רֹאשָׁהַש נה] Rosh HaShanah THE DAY OF SHOFAR BLOWING services is the sounding of the shofar (the ram’s horn). The shofar, first heard at Sinai is [זִכְּ רוֹןָׁתְּ רּועה|יוֹםָׁתְּ רּועה] Zikaron Teruah|Yom Teruah THE DAY OF JUDGMENT heard again as a sign of the .coming redemption [יוֹםָׁהַדִ ין] Yom HaDin THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE THE DAY OF JUDGMENT It is believed that on Rosh [יוֹםָׁהַזִכְּ רוֹן] Yom HaZikaron HaShanah that the destiny of 1 all humankind is recorded in ‘the Book of Life’… “…On Rosh HaShanah it is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, how many will leave this world and how many will be born into it, who will live and who will die.. -
Yom Kippur 5781
בס"ד CEREMONY & CELEBRATION FAMILY EDITION WITH RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS YOM KIPPUR 5781 Yom Kippur in a Nutshell YOM KIPPUR is the holy of holies of Jewish who knew from their history that sin could be time, when we give an account of our lives. We punished by catastrophe. reflect on what has happened to us and what After the destruction of the Second Temple, we plan to do in the coming year. The single everything changed. There was no longer a most important lesson of Yom Kippur is that High Priest, no sacrifice, no Divine fire, no it’s never too late to change, start again, and Levites singing praises or crowds thronging the live differently from the way we’ve done in the precincts of Jerusalem and filling the Temple past. God forgives every mistake we’ve made as Mount. Above all, there was no Yom Kippur Points to long as we are honest in regretting it and doing ritual through which the people could find our best to put it right. Even if there’s nothing forgiveness. Ponder we regret, Yom Kippur makes us think about how to use the coming year in such a way as to It was then that a transformation took place How does Yom Kip- bring blessings into the lives of others by way of that must constitute one of the great creative 1pur help us focus on the future and on thanking God for all He has given us. responses to tragedy in history. Yom Kippur was transferred from the Temple in Jerusalem making a change? In ancient times Yom Kippur was celebrated to every synagogue in the world. -
CBS Torah Weekly Matot Masei 2020
J U L Y 1 8 , 2M0 A2 Y0 |8 , M 2A0 T2 O0 T|- ME AMSOERI | P A G E 1 Congregation Beth Sholom TORAH WEEKLY Learning Initiative ז"ל A Project of the Linda Mitgang To sponsor, please click here The Longest Three Weeks BY RABBI KENNETH HAIN ZMANIM [email protected] Candle-lighting 8:04 pm Mincha 7:00 pm Clearly this summer of the pandemic is a summer of our 8:12 pm discontent. Since March we have struggled with increasing 7:45 am restrictions and numbing isolation. Our celebrations are Shacharit Hashkama 8:45 am curtailed and our social interactions are minimal, and now Shacharit Sephardic 9:15 am we find ourselves in the Three Weeks period before Tish A Shacharit Joel Shiff/Main 8:10 pm B’Av and it hardly feels different from the past four months. Mincha Shiur with Rabbi Miller 8:25 pm I have been exploring new understandings of this Three Maariv 9:05 pm Week period. Our son Rabbi Yonah Hain at Columbia Shabbos Ends 9:11 pm University Hillel has shared with me some remarkable ideas and I hope to share them with you next week in a two part IN THIS ISSUE Zoom series – “ The Challenge of Lamentation” Monday, & Tuesday, July 20-21. 1 The Longest Three Weeks Rabbi Hain Much of our tradition focuses on the anticipation of what will 2 On the 5T's Vaad HaKashrus happen after the Three Week period of sadness. A Midrash Rabbi Fogel from Eicha Rabba 1:2 demonstrates this approach: 4 An Alternate Ending to the Torah “…she has no comforter…” (Lamentations 1:2) – R. -
2021/5781 High Holy Days WORSHIP INFORMATON ~
2021/5781 High Holy Days WORSHIP INFORMATON ~ Rosh HaShanah ~ S’lichot Service jointly w/ Ohavi Saturday September 12 8:00pm Zedek ~ Erev Rosh HaShanah Service Friday September 18 6:30pm ~ Morning Children’s Service Saturday September 19 9:00am ~ Morning Rosh HaShanah Service Saturday September 19 10:00am ~ Tashlich (location TBA) Saturday September 19 4:00pm ~ Insomniac Lounge: alternative Rosh Hashanah Service Saturday September 19 10:00pm Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur ~ Shofar Drive-thru Sunday September 20 11:00am ~ JCVT Vermont Shabbat Shuva Friday September 25 TBD Service ~ Insomniac Lounge: Shabbat Shuva Friday September 25 10:00pm meditation service ~ Shabbat Shuva Morning Service Saturday September 26 9:30am ~ Shabbat Shuva Torah Study Saturday September 26 10:30am Yom Kippur ~ Kol Nidre/Erev Yom Kippur Sunday September 27 6:30pm ~ Morning Children’s Service Monday September 28 9:00am ~ Morning Yom Kippur Service Monday September 28 10:00am ~ Yizkor Service Monday September 28 2:00pm ~ Making Prayer Real: Engaging Yom Kippur Monday September 28 3:00 pm ~ Minchah Service Monday September 28 4:30pm ~ Neilah Monday September 28 6:00pm ~ Break Fast Monday September 28 7:00pm Join us on ZOOM This year's High Holy Day services will be a different experience to what we are used to. Our services will be led by our rabbi, David Edleson, and our cantor Mark Leopold. Due to the pandemic and the significantly heightened risks of singing in closed spaces, we will not be celebrating in the Sanctuary but will continue our worship on ZOOM as we have been every Shabbat. -
A History of Teshuva the Winding Path of Penitence and Where It Leads
A History of Teshuva The Winding Path of Penitence and Where it Leads Shabbat Shuvah 5780 The Jewish Center Rabbi Yosie Levine לזכר נשמת הרב שמואל צבי בן יוסף הלוי 1 The following is excerpted and adapted from a story that appeared in Tablet Magazine in 2018 by Pini Dunner: Yechezkel Taub was born on October 7, 1895, in a small town in Poland. His father, Rabbi Yaakov Taub, was the “Rebbe” of Yabłona, a small town near Warsaw that was home to a vibrant Orthodox Jewish community. When R. Yaakov died in 1920, Yechezkel, 24 years old, suddenly found himself at the head of a prestigious and wealthy Hasidic sect. He took his position seriously and inspired his followers. In 1924, he was persuaded by a cousin, who was passionate about the land of Israel, that the future for Jews lay there rather than in Eastern Europe. With the support of his wealthier Hasidim, he and a few hundred of his followers moved to Palestine. They and another group of Hasidim were welcomed by Jewish officials and ended up buying land in the hills in the north of the country, close to Haifa. Their settlement became known as Kfar Hasidim. The new arrivals were welcomed with open arms. Notables came to see the remarkable phenomenon of Hasidic farmers for themselves. But very soon, things began to badly. There were disputes with the local Arab population. The Kishon River overflowed, flooding the valley and turning it into a swamp. There was an outbreak of malaria and a number of the settlers died. -
Spinning, Turning, and Reckoning Kol Nidre 5779 North Shore Temple Emanuel Rabbi Nicole K
Spinning, Turning, and Reckoning Kol Nidre 5779 North Shore Temple Emanuel Rabbi Nicole K. Roberts Ever since arriving in this country six years ago, I’ve been so fascinated by Australia’s Apology to the Stolen Generations. Perhaps this is because I come from a country that’s always so insufferably proud of itself. I’ve always known that one day, I’d speak about the Apology in a Yom Kippur sermon, because I imagined that in “Apology” writ large, on a national scale, there might be lessons for us as individuals—insights that could be applied to our own personal efforts to ask forgiveness, for things we’ve done wrong in our own lives. Perhaps insights gleaned from a societal teshuvah could assist with individual teshuvah—repentance. I realise, of course, that Australia’s Apology wasn’t perfect and it didn’t come easily: that not every individual citizen was on board with it, and that others feel saying “sorry” doesn’t go far enough—that words and confessions are empty without closing the gap in health, education, and opportunity. Nevertheless, the Apology does reflect a reckoning—an accounting of the country’s soul, if not its financial obligation. A reckoning requires self-reflection, courage, and imagination—self-examination and coming to terms with the darker chapters in our history, not just resting in the myths we’ve come to believe about ourselves. It takes a special people to be able to do this, and I admire you for it. My native country apologises every once in a while, but not very often. -
TASHLICH/ Иœп"Ччz
TASHLICH/_ÈœÏ"÷×z Kehillat Kharakim Rabbi Moshe ben Asher & Magidah Khulda bat Sarah 1 Background The Tashlikh tradition is to go to the banks of a river or other natural body of water on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, or on the second day if the first falls on Shabbat, and to cast pocket lint or bread crumbs into the water, to symbolize and ritualize letting go of past sins. In modern language we think of changing or dropping parts of ourself, parts that are destructive to us and to others, that are not in harmony with G-d and the creation. Variations of the practice include casting an object that reflects in a more personally meaningful way that aspect of one's personality that is to be dropped. Another possibility is writing the personality aspect on a small slip of paper and casting it into the water. The ritual has strong spiritual, psychological, and emotional impact, in part, because of the powerful symbolism of water as a life-giving and purifying force. The effect is reinforced because a congregation carries out the ritual, and thus there is a communal affirmation that G-d forgives us. The ritual also confirms that those in our social world—family, friends, and acquaintances—have come to terms with our past and will allow us teshuvah (turning), to turn our lives toward G-d. The ritual also reinforces our forgiveness of ourself, allowing us to stop thinking of ourself as we were, to begin seeing ourself as we want to be. -
Day of Atonement
SUNDOWN —— SUNDOWN TO Sept 27 —— Sept 28 Yom Kippur Day of Atonement Yom Kippur is the most solemn and holy day of the Jewish year. On this day it is customary to fast, refrain from work and attend synagogue services. It is a day set aside for reflection and to atone for our sins and focus on how we will change to do better in the coming year. The holy day is concluded with a final blast of the shofar to signify the of the day of reflection and the celebration as we begin the New Year renewed. What To Do: What To Say: Prior to Yom Kippur, we are encouraged to make amends with those we may have hurt. On Yom Kippur, we ask for forgiveness from God. G’mar Chatima On Yom Kippur we wipe the slate clean. Tovah Shofar Blowing May you be inscribed The shofar is only blown at the end of the Yom Kippur for good [in the service – the holy day is concluded with a final blast of the shofar to signify the of the day of reflection and Book of Life] the celebration as we begin the New Year renewed. It is written that you are inscribed in the book and on Engage in Teshuva (to return) Yom Kippur your fate is sealed. 1 Regret: Acknowledging mistakes 2 Cessation: Stopping the action What To Eat: 3 Confession: Admitting mistakes Nothing! 4 Making a commitment to change It is customary for healthy adults to Refrain from: fast. No food, drink 1 Eating & Drinking or water. -
Confession Liturgy from Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement
TEXT: Confession Liturgy from Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement ָּא ַׁשְמנּו, ַָּׁבגְדנּו, ַָּׁגז ְלנּו, ִד ַׁבְרנּו דִפי, ֶהֱעִוינּו, ְוִהְרַׁשְענּו, ַׁזְדנּו, ָּח ַׁמ ְסנּו, ָּט ַׁפ ְלנּו ֶש ֶקר, ָּי ַׁע ְצנּו ָּרע, ִכַׁז ְבנּו, ַׁל ְצנּו, ָּמַׁרְדנּו, ִַׁנא ְצנּו, ָּסַׁרְרנּו, ָּעִוינּו, ָּפַׁשְענּו, ָּצַׁרְרנּו, ִִקשינּו עֶרף, ָּר ַׁשְענּו, ִש ַׁח ְתנּו, ִת ַׁע ְבנּוָּ,תִעינּו, ִת ְעָּתְענּו. TEXT: Mutual Responsibility ~ www.jpeoplehood.org/toolkit TEXT: CONFESSION LITURGY FROM YOM KIPPUR, THE DAY OF ATONEMENT Ashamnu– we have trespassed; Bagadnu– we have dealt treacherously; Gazalnu– we have robbed; Dibarnu dofi– we have spoken slander; He’evinu–we have acted perversely; V’hirshanu– we have done wrong; Zadnu– we have acted presumptuously; Hamasnu– we have done violence; Tafalnu sheker– we have practiced deceit; Yaatsnu ra– we have counseled evil; Kizavnu– we have spoken falsehood; Latsnu– we have scoffed; Maradnu– we have revolted; Niatsnu– we have blasphemed; Sararnu– we have rebelled; Avinu– we have committed iniquity; Pashanu– we have transgressed; Tsararnu– we have oppressed; Kishinu oref– we have been stiff necked; Rashanu– we have acted wickedly; Shichatnu– we have dealt corruptly; Tiavnu– we have committed abomination; Tainu– we have gone astray; Titanu– we have led others astray. – Siddur and Yom Kippur Liturgy ii ~ TEXT: Mutual Responsibility ~ www.jpeoplehood.org/toolkit Confession Liturgy from Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement Explanation of Text he Ashamnu prayer is part of the daily ritual of When one prays, the assumption is that you Tthe traditional Jew, appearing as a silently-said are talking personally to God – or at least trying to part of the morning service. -
Parshat Vayeitze 5780
Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi Volume 11 Number 40 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Parshat Vayetze: Genuinely Grateful Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein The Jewish nation is called Yehudim in Hashem’s “job.” Hebrew. The source for this name appears in Sefer Chareidim points out, if we are We must learn to take nothing for granted, for this week’s parsha as Leah names her fourth commanded to remember daily the kindness of nothing is our due. son Yehudah. The root of Yehudah means Hashem’s taking our ancestors out of Egypt so gratitude. The Gemara in Brachot states that many generations ago, how much more so We are often further prevented from express- no one had expressed gratitude to Hashem must we remember the daily kindnesses ing gratitude because we are overwhelmed by from the time of creation until Leah expressed Hashem bestows upon us as we live our lives our challenges. But we should not assume that it. Yet the Torah itself cites instances of today. Further, just as we see in the challenge Leah faced no trials in her life. Yet she was Avraham, and Eliezer, for example, express- of the Egyptian enslavement the ensuing able to recognize that these very tribulations ing gratitude to Hashem. Therefore, we must blessing to our nation in forging our strength were the source of her blessings, notes the assume that there was something unique in and our collective soul, so must we find the Darash Dovid. -
High Holy Days Q&A Full Sheet.Indd
The High Holy Days Questions and Answers to help you more fully experience and enjoy these Holy Days What do the words Rosh Hashanah mean? Rosh Hashanah is Hebrew for “head of the year” (literally) or “beginning of the year” (figuratively). In the Torah, we read, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a sacred assembly, a cessation from work, a day of commemoration proclaimed by the sound of the Shofar.” Therefore, we celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first and second days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. Why is the New Year in the Fall? Why do we start the New Year in the seventh month? Our ancestors had several dates in the calendar marking the beginning of important seasons of the year. The first month of the Hebrew calendar was Nisan, in the spring. The fifteenth day of the month of Shevat was considered the New Year of the Trees. But the first of Tishrei was the beginning of the economic year, when the old harvest year ended and the new one began. Around the month of Tishrei, the first rains came in the Land of Israel, and the soil was plowed for the winter grain. Eventually, the first of Tishrei became not only the beginning of the economic year, but the beginning of the spiritual year as well. What are the “Days of Awe?” Rosh Hashanah is the first of the “High Holy Days,” and begins the most spiritually intense part of the Jewish year – the yamin nora’im, the Days of Awe.