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Portrait of a Jewish man kneeling and praying in the synagogue. The man is wearing a yarmulke on his head as he sits alone in the synagogue. Photo by iStockPhoto

By Benjamin Gladstone September 19, 2023

Editor’s note:  With the 2023 High Holidays upon us, we’re refreshing and republishing older stories about the holiday season for readers to enjoy with updated information. This story was originally published on September 5, 2019.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It might even be the only occasion on which you go to synagogue. Its long services and many rules can be daunting — so we’ve written out these explanations to help you untangle some of its laws and customs.

What is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is the holiest day of the year, when Jews repent for their sins before, according to Jewish belief, God seals a final decree regarding the fate of each person for the coming year.

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Occurring on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei , Yom Kippur falls in September or October on the Gregorian calendar. It is the culmination of the Days of Awe, the High Holy Days period during which Jews atone for their misdeeds.

Because of its outsized significance, many Jews who do not celebrate other holidays or do not keep most religious laws still take Yom Kippur off from work or school to spend the day worshipping.

When is Yom Kippur this year?

Yom Kippur 2023 will begin on the evening of Sept. 24 and will continue through nightfall on Sept. 25.

The specific times of sunset and nightfall will vary from locale to locale.

How is Yom Kippur celebrated?

Yom Kippur is marked in many ways. It is largely a somber day of fasting (refraining from eating and drinking) and lots of time in synagogue services.

Before Yom Kippur, Jews customarily prepare for the day by eating and drinking a good deal, especially during the final meal before the fast begins, called Seudah haMafseket . It is especially important to hydrate before a fast. The Forward website has a number of High Holy Day recipes that you can try for Seudah haMafseket, or the break-fast meal after Yom Kippur, including this easy challah (Jewish bread) recipe, this recipe for apple walnut bundt cake , and, if you’re up for a real challenge, this Bene Israel Indian-Jewish puri .

Many Jews also perform the ritual of Kaparot. In traditional Kaparot, a person recites a prescribed declaration while passing a chicken over their head three times, then slaughters the chicken in the kosher way — that is, in accordance with very strict regulations designed to ensure that the chicken feels no pain. The meat of the chicken is then donated to charity. Today, many Jews perform a symbolic variant of Kaparot with a bag of money in place of a chicken, donating that money to charity instead. Immediately before Yom Kippur, Jews light candles and recite a blessing to mark the beginning of a holy day.

On Erev Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur Eve), Jewish worshippers attend religious services, which are preceded by the Kol Nidrei declaration, usually chanted by a cantor. That night is also the final Slihot service of the High Holidays, during which Jews ask God for forgiveness by citing the thirteen divine “Attributes of Mercy” and various biblical stories.

Most Jews are required by Jewish law to fast for 25 hours. It is important to note, however, that people who are pregnant, sick, or under the age of 12 or 13 are exempt from fasting. Jewish law also forbids bathing, wearing leather shoes, and applying lotions and oils on Yom Kippur, and strictly prohibits both work and sexual relations.

Synagogue services on Yom Kippur are long and have many components, including blasts of the shofar , a hollowed-out ram’s horn. Certain selections from the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) and Neviim (Prophets) are chanted aloud.

The Yom Kippur Torah reading describes in detail the process by which the ancient Israelites atoned for their sins through ritual goat sacrifices (Jews in the present day do not sacrifice goats). From the book of Prophets, Jews read the story of Jonah, who God forced to confront the sinful people of the City of Nineveh in order to give them an opportunity to repent.

Another passage of Prophets that is read on Yom Kippur, and that shapes the character of the day, is Isaiah 57:14-58:14 . In that passage, God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, excoriates the ancient Israelites for failing to couple their religious fasts with actions to better the world: “This is the fast I desire: to unlock fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of the yoke; to let the oppressed go free; to break off every yoke. It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home; when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to ignore your own kin.” (Isaiah 58:6-7) In keeping with this passage and others like it, many Jews couple their Yom Kippur observances with justice and liberation activism (especially before or after Yom Kippur itself), and many rabbis use the High Holidays as an opportunity to promote pro-justice values within their congregations.

Yom Kippur concludes with the Ne’ilah (“locking”) service, during which Jews believe that God closes the gates of Heaven. A shofar blast marks the end of the fast. Customarily, Jews celebrate with a large break-fast meal after Ne’ilah. Please note, however, that quickly eating a lot of food immediately after fasting can be unhealthy. Check out our suggestions for breaking a fast in a healthy way .

One favorite break-fast meal among (especially Ashkenazi) American Jews is, of course, bagels and lox .

Why do we fast on Yom Kippur?

Fasting on Yom Kippur is a biblical commandment. The text itself reads, “you shall practice self-denial” ( Leviticus 23:27 ), which rabbis and commentators understand to mean that Jews must refrain from eating and drinking throughout the day. The Torah scholar Avraham ibn Ezra provided a grammatical proof that to “practice self-denial” always meant to “fast” in the Torah.

Reform Rabbi Mary Zamore, who is also the executive director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network, provides a number of reasons that Jews fast. “By not focusing on communal meals and get-togethers,” she writes , “we make time for unrushed prayer, repentance and reflection.” Moreover, fasting “force[s] us to confront our death and, therefore, our lives and our legacies.” It also promotes “compassion,” in that, “as we confront our own discomfort with feeling hungry, we must remember how many people in the world suffer with true, involuntary hunger and food insecurity.”

Jewish Educator Aliza Bulow writes for Aish.com that “spiritual feelings are frequently very subtle … halacha (Jewish law) helps us in this process. By specifying particular behaviors and dictating when they must be performed, halacha provides physical sensations that point to spiritual realities.” Jews fast on Yom Kippur because “feeling hunger on a physical level helps us access the concept of desire and need on a spiritual level. Requiring fasting on days that necessitate repentance helps us activate the longing we have to walk on a path that leads to a rectified world.”

What do you say on Yom Kippur?

It is common on Yom Kippur for Jews to wish each other a gemar hatimah tovah , or “a good final sealing.” This is an allusion to the tradition that God writes each person’s name in a “book” that determines their fate for the year, and that, on Yom Kippur, all such books are sealed.

Many people also wish one another a tzom qal , or an “easy fast.” Because the fast is not necessarily meant to be “easy,” however, this greeting is often modified. One might use the phrase “have a meaningful fast,” for example.

It is also not uncommon to continue using the Rosh Hashanah greeting l’shanah tovah , meaning “for a good year,” through Yom Kippur, which occurs soon after the Jewish new year.

Yom Kippur is a very significant day for Jews all over the world. Millions of people congregate in synagogues to participate in Yom Kippur services together, to atone for their sins, and to connect with God and with each other. Hopefully, these answers to basic questions will help you approach this solemn day in a way that is meaningful to you.

Benjamin Gladstone is an intern at the Forward

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Updated Sep 19 2023 03:44PM EDT

Your Yom Kippur FAQs, answered

Why is yom kippur after rosh hashanah, not before can i take medicine on yom kippur can i read a book during services.

• By Sara Himeles

You asked, we answered! Our editor Sara Himeles who recently finished her rabbinical studies answered all of your Yom Kippur questions.

Besides creating a sacred space/gathering inspirational readings: what should we do if were not attending synagogue?

If you’re not attending synagogue but still want to take part in some Yom Kippur observances, you can fast, pray, and refrain from work. If you don’t have a machzor (High Holiday prayer book), you can find one on Sefaria ( Ashkenaz or Sefard ). Yom Kippur is all about self-reflection, repentance, and atonement, so you can also reflect on the past year and think about how you can be a better person, and closer to who you are meant to be, in the coming year. Here are a few questions you can use to reflect. You can also learn a lot more about the meaning of Yom Kippur in our holiday guide .

Why is Yom Kippur after Rosh Hashanah, not before?

That’s a great question. The High Holiday season has a very deliberate order, and it’s meant to be an entire journey centered on the themes of self-reflection, repentance ( teshuvah ), and atonement (being completely forgiven for our wrongdoings). During the month of Elul, leading up to Rosh Hashanah , Jews engage in cheshbon hanefesh (“an accounting of the soul”), meaning reflection and self-examination. On Rosh Hashanah, it is believed that God “opens” the Book of Life and writes our fates for the coming year.

The 10 Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a period of further self-examination and contemplation. During these 10 days, Jews often ask forgiveness of people they may have wronged during the year and engage in teshuvah (meaning “repentance” or “return”). This describes the process in which we acknowledge what we have done wrong, feel regret and vow not to do it again.

Jewish tradition says that through teshuvah , we can influence our own fates and have an opportunity to be inscribed in the Book of Life. The Unetaneh Tokef prayer famously states this idea: “ U-teshuvah u-tefilah u-tzedakah ma’avirin et roa hagezeira ” (“But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree”). At the end of Yom Kippur, our fates are “sealed” for the coming year. So Rosh Hashanah has to come before Yom Kippur, because first our fates need to be “written,” and then (after we give our best effort to positively influence the “decree”), the fates are “sealed.”

Can I take medicine on Yom Kippur?

If you are sick and experience discomfort, or if you take medication every day, you are permitted to take the medicine on Yom Kippur. Rabbis Elozor Barclay and Yitzchok Jaeger explain , “A person may swallow bitter medicines in tablet, capsule or liquid form, but not if they are pleasant tasting or tasteless. The medicine must not be taken with water. If one cannot swallow the capsule or tablet without any liquid, he should use a bitter tasting liquid. (If the capsule or tablet will still be effective when mixed with water, this is a practical solution since such liquid is usually bitter tasting.)”

Can I read a book during Yom Kippur services?

It’s no secret to rabbis that some congregants “sneak” books into High Holiday services. For example, The Forward reported that Jonathan Sarna, a professor of history at Brandeis University, always brings a book to High Holidays services at his Orthodox synagogue.

“It is to ensure that my mind doesn’t wander too far away when the service is droning on in a way that perhaps doesn’t lead me in the spiritual direction that one would wish,” Sarna said. He said he brings a book that has relevance to the prayer service and that “can be defined, broadly speaking, as Torah.”

Favorite music from Yom Kippur?

Kol Nidrei , Avinu Malkeinu and Haneshama Lach

Are we allowed to swallow our spit? I heard it’s not allowed.

Let’s debunk any misconception: swallowing your own saliva is perfectly allowed on Yom Kippur, and it won’t break your fast.

Have more questions about Yom Kippur? Check out our  guide  to the holiday,  advice on whether to grant forgiveness , and  what to say to your Jewish friends on Yom Kippur .

Originally Published Sep 18, 2023 12:03AM EDT

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Level: Basic

• Sunset Sept 24, 2023 - Nightfall Sept 25, 2023
• Significance: Day of Atonement
• Observances: Fasting, Prayer and Repentance
• Length: 25 Hours
• Greeting: Have an easy fast
• Liturgy additions: Annulment of vows; lengthy confession of sins

...In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall not do any work ... For on that day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the L-RD. (Leviticus 16:29-30)

Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri . The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 16:29-30.

☰ The Day of Atonement

The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. In Days of Awe , I mentioned the "books" in which G-d inscribes all of our names. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.

As I noted in Days of Awe, Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.

☰ Traditions

Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes ( Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers, flip flops or even Crocs under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur.

As always, any of these restrictions can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved. In fact, children under the age of nine and women in childbirth (from the time labor begins until three days after birth) are not permitted to fast, even if they want to. Older children and women from the third to the seventh day after childbirth are permitted to fast, but are permitted to break the fast if they feel the need to do so. People with other illnesses should consult a physician and a rabbi for advice.

Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue , in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of a tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts. This is often followed by some triumpant singing and dancing around the synagogue (not formal party dancing; just everyone dancing around in a circle).

It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried (the rabbi usually wears this but some others do as well).

☰ Yom Kippur Liturgy

See also Jewish Liturgy generally.

The liturgy for Yom Kippur is much more extensive than for any other day of the year. Liturgical additions are so far-reaching that there is a separate, special prayer book for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah . This prayer book is called the machzor, which means cycle or series. This word used to be used for any comprehensive prayer book but it has specifically been used for the High Holiday prayer book for centuries.

The evening service that begins Yom Kippur is commonly known as Kol Nidre, named for the prayer that begins the service. "Kol nidre" means "all vows," and in this prayer, we ask G-d to annul all personal vows we may make in the next year. It refers only to vows between the person making them and G-d, such as "If I pass this test, I'll pray every day for the next 6 months!" The YouTube recording is the traditional melody (though I don't usually hear it with backup singers).

This prayer has often been held up by anti-Semites as proof that Jews are untrustworthy (we do not keep our vows), and for this reason the Reform movement removed it from the liturgy for a while. In fact, the reverse is true: we make this prayer because we take vows so seriously that we consider ourselves bound even if we make the vows under duress or in times of stress when we are not thinking straight. This prayer gave comfort to those who were converted to Christianity by torture and threats of expulsion in various awful times, yet felt unable to break their vow to follow Christianity. In recognition of this history, the Reform movement restored this prayer to its liturgy.

There are many additions to the regular liturgy (there would have to be, to get such a long service <grin>). Perhaps the most important addition is the confession of the sins of the community, which is inserted into the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah) prayer. Note that all sins are confessed in the plural (we have done this, we have done that), emphasizing communal responsibility for sins.

There are two basic parts of this confession: Ashamnu, a shorter, more general list (we have been treasonable, we have been aggressive, we have been slanderous...), and Al Cheit, a longer and more specific list (for the sin we sinned before you forcibly or willingly, and for the sin we sinned before you by acting callously...) Frequent petitions for forgiveness are interspersed in these prayers. There's also a catch-all confession: "Forgive us the breach of positive commands and negative commands, whether or not they involve an act, whether or not they are known to us."

It is interesting to note that these confessions do not specifically address the kinds of ritual sins that some people think are the be-all-and-end-all of Judaism. There is no "for the sin we have sinned before you by eating pork, and for the sin we have sinned against you by driving on Shabbat" (though obviously these are implicitly included in the catch-all). The vast majority of the sins enumerated involve mistreatment of other people, most of them by speech (offensive speech, scoffing, slander, talebearing, and swearing falsely, to name a few). These all come into the category of sin known as " lashon ha-ra " (lit: the evil tongue), which is considered a very serious sin in Judaism.

The concluding service of Yom Kippur, known as Ne'ilah, is one unique to the day. It usually runs about 1 hour long. The ark (a cabinet where the scrolls of the Torah are kept) is kept open throughout this service, thus you are expected to stand throughout the service. There is a tone of desperation in the prayers of this service. The service is sometimes referred to as the closing of the gates; think of it as the "last chance" to get in a good word before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of the shofar. See Rosh Hashanah for more about the shofar and its characteristic blasts. As the blast ends, there is a great sense of relief, often followed by joyous singing. Traditional synagogues immediately follow this with the evening prayer service for the next day, a demonstration that we are dedicated to living a righteous life in the coming year.

After Yom Kippur, one should begin preparing for the next holiday, Sukkot , which begins five days later.

☰ List of Dates

Yom Kippur will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:

• Jewish Year 5784: sunset September 24, 2023 - nightfall September 25, 2023
• Jewish Year 5785: sunset October 11, 2024 - nightfall October 12, 2024
• Jewish Year 5786: sunset October 1, 2025 - nightfall October 2, 2025
• Jewish Year 5787: sunset September 20, 2026 - nightfall September 21, 2026
• Jewish Year 5788: sunset October 10, 2027 - nightfall October 11, 2027

For additional holiday dates, see Links to Jewish Calendars .

Related Pages

What's Nu? | Current Calendar | About Copyright © 5756-5783 (1995-2023), Tracey R Rich

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The most solemn of the Jewish festivals is Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is a day of fasting and prayer, when Jews seek to make amends for their sins and to achieve a reconciliation with God. In English it is called the Day of Atonement. The holiday concludes the 10-day period of repentance that begins with Rosh Hashana (New Year’s Day). Yom Kippur is observed on the 10th day of the Hebrew calendar month Tishri (in September or October).

The purpose of Yom Kippur is to purify the individual and community by the practice of forgiveness of the sins of others and by sincere repentance for one’s own sins against God. Jewish congregations spend the eve of Yom Kippur and the entire day in prayer and meditation. They do not work, eat, or drink. On the eve of Yom Kippur the Kol Nidre is recited. Famous for its beautiful melody, the Kol Nidre is a declaration annulling all vows made during the course of the year insofar as they concern oneself (obligations toward others are excluded). That evening friends ask and accept forgiveness from one another for past offenses, since obtaining forgiveness from other people signifies God’s forgiveness.

The services on Yom Kippur itself last continuously from morning to evening and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of penitential prayers. The services close with the blowing of the ritual horn known as the shofar.

Jews believe that Moses broke the first set of tablets of the Ten Commandments when he witnessed the Israelites committing the sin of worshipping a golden calf instead of praying to God. Forty days later, on the 10th of Tishri, Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets of the Ten Commandments and told the Israelites that they were forgiven. Since that time, the day has been observed as Yom Kippur.

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Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals

Tradition teaches that on Rosh HaShanah the Book of Life is written, and on Yom Kippur our decree for the New Year is sealed. We are taught that by doing t’shuvah T'shuvah תְּשׁוּבָה "Return;" The concept of repentance and new beginnings, which is a continuous theme throughout the High Holidays. , t’filah t'filah תִּפְלָה "Prayer." ,  and tzedakah tzedakah צְדָקָה From the Hebrew word for “justice,” or “righteousness;” refers to charity or charitable giving. May also be translated as “righteous giving.”  ,  we can temper that decree. As a result, much of the Yom Kippur liturgy and the rituals for all of the Yamim Nora-im (“Days of Awe”) are aimed at achieving this goal. For example, one of the greetings for this day is “ G'mar chatimah tovah, ” "May you be sealed [in the Book of Life] for a good year ahead.”

Yom Kippur is a day when we focus on our spiritual well-being, and setting our physical requirements aside helps us focus on that important work. Though there are five specific practices we abstain from on Yom Kippur (eating and drinking, wearing leather, bathing and shaving, anointing ourselves with oils or lotions, and having sexual relations), fasting (not eating or drinking) is the most familiar custom.

Fasting originally was seen as fulfilling the biblical commandment to “practice self-denial.” The Yom Kippur fast enables us, for at least one day each year, to ignore our physical desires, focusing instead on our spiritual needs. Throughout the day, we concentrate on prayer, repentance, and self-improvement before returning to our usual daily routine after the holiday.

Customarily, all people from age 13 must fast (in some communities, girls begin at age 12 and boys at age 13). The fast encompasses a full 24-hour period, beginning after the Erev Yom Kippur meal and extending to the following evening. During this time, no eating or drinking is permitted.

Judaism has a deep reverence for life, and though the Yom Kippur fast is of great importance, it is never allowed to jeopardize health. Those too ill to fast (or to fast fully) are prohibited from doing so. Those who need to take medication are allowed, as are pregnant women or women who have just given birth.

Wearing White

Some Jews wear white on Yom Kippur. Because white is a symbol of purity and Yom Kippur is a day when we undertake a spiritual cleansing, it is an appropriate color for the occasion. Others interpret white as representative of the white shroud in which Jews are buried, symbolizing our mortality and reminding us of the need for humility and repentance.

Hearing the Shofar

Yom Kippur ends with a single, long blast of the shofar shofar שׁוֹפָר Ram’s horn most commonly blown throughout the month of Elul and during the High Holiday season. . The stirring sound of the shofar at the conclusion of the holiday has many different explanations. One is that the practice recalls the giving of the Torah Torah תּוֹרָה Literally “instruction” or “teaching.” The first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy); the handwritten scroll that contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Also called the Pentateuch and The Five Books of Moses. “Torah” is also used to refer to the entire body of Jewish religious teachings and insight.  at Mt. Sinai (when the shofar also was blown). Another is that the shofar signals the triumph of the Jewish community over its sins for another year.

In the Congregation

The heart of the Yom Kippur liturgical experience is congregational and communal worship. Yom Kippur, like Shabbat , is a day when one refrains from work. Leviticus 23:32 describes Yom Kippur as a Shabbat Shabbaton – a sabbath of complete rest. So it is seen as a mitzvah mitzvah מִצְוָה Literally, “commandment." A sacred obligation. Jewish tradition says the Torah contains 613 mitzvot Mitzvot refer to both religious and ethical obligations.  to attend all the services on Yom Kippur, from Kol Nidre Kol Nidre כָּל נִדְרֵי "All Vows;" prayer recited on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar;   in the evening, throughout the next day, ending with N’ilah N'ilah נְעִילָה Literally, “locking.” The service that concludes Yom Kippur. The name alludes to the metaphorical locking of the heavenly gates at the end of the day. (concluding services) and the sounding of the shofar . A memorial service ( Yizkor ) is included on Yom Kippur, and Havdalah havdalah הַבְדָּלָה Literally, “separation." The Saturday night home ritual that separates the Sabbath from the beginning of the new week. The ritual uses wine, spices, and candles to transition from Sabbath to the weekdays.  is recited at the end of the day, following the sounding of the shofar . A joyous “break-the-fast” meal is served at the conclusion of services, either at the congregation or at home.

The Erev Yom Kippur service is called Kol Nidre , meaning “all vows,” and refers to the special liturgical formulation chanted solely on Yom Kippur, during the evening service at the beginning of the holiday. It is a legal formula for the annulment of vows, which dates back many centuries. The practice of reciting Kol Nidre  probably began in about the 9th century C.E. Recited in a mix of Hebrew and Aramaic, the vernacular language of the time, Kol Nidre  cancels and annuls all unintended vows made to God during the previous year.

Customarily, Kol Nidre  is repeated three times. In some congregations, these repetitions may include chanting, an instrumental rendition of the haunting melody played on a violin, viola, or cello, or even a spoken reading of the text. The threefold repetition most likely derives from the ancient practice of reciting all official proclamations three times. During Kol Nidre , the congregation stands together in silence, and in some congregations, the Torah scrolls are held by leaders of the community.

Customarily, in addition to Erev Yom Kippur, the entirety of the next day is spent in synagogue. The liturgy for the day of Yom Kippur includes powerful readings from the Torah, the core of Jewish teaching and practice, and Yizkor , a memorial service to remember our loved ones who have died and, perhaps, to draw from their memories the inspiration to be the best of what we can yet be.

The Days of Awe are about more than confessing our sins. They are an opportunity to envision what our lives and our communities could be like if we each become a little more caring with each passing year. On Yom Kippur morning, we read from the Torah portion entitled Nitzavim , in which we learn that meaningful Jewish lives are not too hard for us and not too far away – if we are willing to choose a life of caring for each other. We also recite the Al Cheit , a prayer that recounts our sins: gossip, arrogance, exploiting the weak, and all the other missteps we took during the year just ended. The High Holidays are a time for t’shuvah , which is usually understood to mean repentance. But t’shuvah is much more than repentance. Its literal meaning is “return” and, indeed, t’shuvah is a return forward to something holy inside us that hasn’t yet reached fruition, a return to the goodness and the caring that could have been and can still be. T’shuvah is our search to find the potential for good and for holiness that has been within us all along but somehow became hidden in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Beginning at sundown prior to Kol Nidre , it is customary to begin some of the ritual practices of Yom Kippur. Therefore, a family meal, known as se’udah mafseket (the concluding meal before the fast) customarily is eaten before sundown, with the candle lighting happening at the end of the meal. This process is a way to mark the entrance of Yom Kippur into the home and, with that blessing, the fast begins.

Tradition holds that acts of tzedakah are key to our observance of Yom Kippur. In many synagogues, a fundraising appeal coincides with the High Holidays. Many Jews make tzedakah a part of their Shabbat ritual, depositing a few dollars in a tzedakah box prior to the beginning of Shabbat. This practice can also be done as part of the ritual prior to the meal eaten before Kol Nidre . To make this custom even more special, the Days of Awe can be a time to tally the funds set aside each week during the prior year and determine to which causes they will be donated.

By reciting prayers in a synagogue on Yom Kippur, we atone for transgressions against God. For wrongs committed against other people, however, it has become customary to seek out friends and relatives whom we have wronged during the year and to ask their forgiveness before Yom Kippur begins. The holiday is a time when families should be at peace and gives us a yearly opportunity to put aside past hurts and create a new beginning.

It also is customary on Yom Kippur to perpetuate the memory of loved ones. To do so, many Jews visit the cemetery the day before Yom Kippur and kindle 24-hour yahrzeit yahrzeit יוֹם הַשָּׁנָה Anniversary of a death. It is customary to recite the Mourner's Kaddish when observing a yahrzeit. candles in memory of loved ones who have died ( learn more about yahrzeit candles and other Jewish mourning rituals ).  Yahrzeit candles are lit prior to the lighting of the holiday candles. During the Middle Ages, this custom was seen as a means of atonement for the dead. Today, however, it is a beautiful expression of tribute and remembrance.

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Exploring Yom Kippur with Young Children

Jewish value:, additional value:, lesson summary:.

The story of Jonah, being sorry, forgiving and the hebrew phrase " G mar Chatima Tova " are each addressed in this lesson on Yom Kippur. 

Enduring Understandings:

• We all make mistakes.
• We can acknowledge our mistakes by saying, “I’m sorry, ” and try to make things better.
• When we do something wrong, it is important to learn from our mistakes so that we make better choices next time. 
• It takes courage to admit when we are wrong or have made a mistake.
• Yom Kippur gives us the opportunity to say “I’m sorry” for mistakes made and to ask for forgiveness.

Be Inspired: The ideas included are offered as starting points as you and your students explore, discover and live the lessons. Be sure to elicit and encourage student and parent participation, consistently reinforcing the value being addressed. Allow lessons to authentically develop and change based on engagement and interests.

Lesson plan components, for the educator jewish thought, text, and traditions more, jewish every day incorporate jewish values more, materials and resources more.

Note: the amount of materials needed will vary depending upon whether you rotate small groups through the stations or use the activities suggested with the whole class. Copy of Jonah and The Great Big Fish   by Rhonda Gowler Greene Taschlich Activity: Coffee filters, washable markers, container with water. Water Table Story ReTell Activity: Water table, water toys of characters and objects from Jonah and the Great Fish: a whale or big fish, Jonah, a boat, an assortment of people from the boat

Jonah Videos to Consider showing: “Overboard” A song by Josh Nelson  Jonah and The Whale Musical Cartoon :   The story of “Jonah and the Big Fish” in a very “child-friendly way” though simple puppetry and narration:  Jonah on YouTube

Procedure more

•  “Did anyone go to synagogue on Rosh Hashanah?" 
•  “Did you hear any songs you knew? Which?" 
• “Did anyone hear the shofar blast?” 
•  “What did it sound like? (Give students the opportunity to try to imitate the sound of the shofar.)"
• “Who knows why we blow the shofar? “ 
• What did Jonah do when he was scared and didn’t want to listen to G-d? (He ran away from G-d.) 
• Do you think that running away a good idea? 
• What could Jonah do instead of running away? (i.e. Say, “ I’m sorry, “ have faith in G-d, ask G-d for forgiveness, etc.)
• Do you think anyone can ever run away from G-d? Why or why not?

Explore, Discover, and More Extension and Reinforcement Activities more

These activities can be set up as centers, stations or group activities, depending upon student interest and ability: Tashlich Activity: Another opportunity for students to reflect on the things they’d like to “wash away” This is our last chance to say “I’m Sorry.” Students will have an opportunity to toss away their mistakes for the last time before Yom Kippur! Distribute extra-large coffee filters and washable markers to each student. Ask students to either depict something they did that they are sorry for and don’t want to repeat in an illustration or write a description of their mistake/dictate what they’d like a facilitator to write for them (depending on child’s writing abilities). After reflecting on the mistakes appropriately, take the coffee filter to a bucket of water, sink, or bathtub, place the coffee filter in the water, and watch as the mistakes wash away. Use this time to discuss forgiveness, learning from mistakes, starting anew, and the concept of a clean slate. The Water Table with Story ReTell. Consider sharing the story of Jonah again, either making the book available, displaying a video as children play or showing the clip and then providing play materials. Encourage students as they play with the big fish, the boat, and the people at the water table. As they play, encourage children to use their own words to retell the story of “Jonah and the Big Fish”

Music Connections more

Evidence of learning more.

• Student discussions and story retell based on the story of Jonah reflect an understanding of the purpose of admitting mistakes, saying “I’m sorry” and finding a way to make things better.
• Observe students in their daily interactions. Do they remember to say “I’m sorry” at the appropriate times?
• Student discussion of the scenarios and reactions to them reflect an understanding of the different ways they feel when: 1) they do something wrong 2) when they say, “I’m sorry.”

HOME AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS more

Literature connections more.

Becca Weiner

RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS PAGE:

• 1:  Uh-Oh by Miss Emily
• 2:  L'Shana Tova by Josh Shriber
• 3:  Thank You Universe by Mama Doni
• 4:  I'm Really Really Sorry by Lisa Baydush
• 1:  I Did It I’m Sorry
• 2:  How to Lose All Your Friends
• 3:  I'm Sorry
• 4:  Goldie Is Mad
• 5:  Beautiful Oops
• 6:  The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story*
• 7:  I'm Sorry Grover: A Rosh Hashanah Tale
• 8:  Jonah and The Great Big Fish

HOLIDAYS more

• 1:  Rosh Hashanah

Lesson Plans more

• 1:  Tumford the Terrible teaches Be Sorry and Forgive
• 2:  Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse teaches to Be Sorry and Forgive
• 3:  The L’shanah Tovah Choo Choo

VALUES more

• 1:  Forgive
• 2:  Be Sorry and Repent

Videos more

• 1:  Yom Kippur: Overboard
• 2:  Jonah & The Whale Musical Cartoon
• 3:  Six13's Shana Tova

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES TO TOPICS ADDRESSED:

• 1: Grateful! by Miss Emily
• 2: It's The Birthday Of The World by Lisa Baydush
• 3: What Are You Thankful For Today? by Elana Jagoda
• 4: Tekiya by Eliana Light
• 5: Light These Lights by Debbie Friedman
• 6: Chag Chag Sameach by Joanie Leeds
• 7: Shofar Blast by Ellen Allard
• 8: Fixing Up The World by Craig Taubman
• 9: Shehechiyanu by Sam Glaser
• 10: On Yom Kippur By Lisa Baydush
• 11: It's Rosh Hashanah by Lisa Baydush
• 12: If You Forgive Me by Karen Daniel
• 13: Toot Toot by Lisa Baydush
• 14: L'shana Tova by Ellen Allard
• 15: I Offer My Prayer To You by Ellen Allard
• 1: Folktales
• 3: Ritual Objects
• 4: Life Cycle Events
• 1: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
• 2: Should I Share My Ice Cream?
• 3: Tumford The Terrible
• 4: The Apple Tree’s Discovery*
• 5: Today Is the Birthday of the World*
• 6: The Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad
• 7: You’re Not My Best Friend Anymore
• 8: Words Are Not for Hurting
• 10: The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others
• 11: It's A...It's A...It's A Mitzvah!
• 12: What A Way to Start A Year!: A Rosh Hashanah Story
• 13: Gershon's Monster*
• 14: Sammy Spider's First Day of School
• 15: The World's Birthday*
• 16: New Year at The Pier*
• 17: Tashlisch at Turtle Rock*
• 18: It's Shofar Time!
• 19: Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
• 20: Apples and Honey*
• 21: Beni's Family Treasury: Stories for the Jewish Holidays
• 22: Even Higher!: A Rosh Hashanah Story
• 23: Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year
• 24: Mitzi's Mitzvah
• 25: Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah
• 26: The Secret Shofar of Barcelona
• 27: When The Chickens Went On Strike
• 28: Red Blue and Yellow Yarn
• 29: Happy Birthday World*
• 30: Even Higher
• 31: The White Ram: A Story of Abraham and Isaac
• 32: Little Red Rosie
• 1: Yom Kippur

Lesson Plans

• 1: Chrysanthemum teaches to Show Respect and Use Nice Words
• 2: The Lonely Little Monster teaches Friendship and Build Community
• 3: Today Is The Birthday Of The World explores Rosh Hashanah
• 4: The Hardest Word Explores Being Sorry and Forgiveness (From PJ Library)
• 5: Red Blue and Yellow Yarn explores Forgiveness and Honoring Senior Citizens
• 6: Bibliodrama the Binding of Isaac
• 7: Bibliodrama Jonah and the Big Fish
• 8: 17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore (Yom Kippur)
• 1: Be Grateful
• 2: Friendship

Projects & Crafts

• 1: Dollar Store Shofar Craft
• 2: Spew Jonah (whale popper)
• 3: Apple-Print Blessings Placemat
• 4: Rosh Hashanah Napkin Rings
• 5: Stained Glass Fish
• 6: Centerpieces: Toilet Paper Roll Apples
• 7: The Bee's Knees Honey Pot
• 8: Rosh Hashana Card
• 1: Book Of Good Life
• 2: Dip Your Apple
• 3: Bars & Melody: Anti-Bullying Inspiration
• 4: Soul Bigger
• 5: Get Clarity
• 6: Belly Breathe: Common and Colbie Caillat
• 7: How to Blow a Shofar
• 8: Chanukah (Shake It Off) Six13
• 9: Shehechiyanu: The Jewish Blessing for Firsts
• 10: Rosh Hashanah for Kids: Dip The Apple In The Honey
• 11: Shaboom! Really Really Sorry
• 12: Teaching Your Kids About Saying I'm Sorry

Prayers and Blessings

• 1: Blessings
• 2: Creative Liturgy

Games & Activities

• 1: Wake Up World App
• 2: eScapegoat
• 3: Family Forgiveness: Vayechi Discussion Guide
• 4: Low Hanging Fruit: Pomegranates and Rosh Hashanah
• 5: The Things We Carry: Traditions
• 6: The Apple Tree's Discovery Activity Guide

Resource Roundup

• 1: Exploring High Holidays with Young Children
• 2: Rosh Hashanah Videos 2017/5778

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A Guide to Yom Kippur Prayers

The Day of Atonement contains more services than any other observance in Judaism.

By Rabbi Daniel Kohn

Yom Kippur Evening Service: Kol Nidrei

When is Yom Kippur 2024? Click here to find out.

This legal ritual is believed to have developed in early medieval times as a result of persecutions against the Jews. At various times in Jewish history, Jews were forced to convert to either Christianity or Islam upon pain of death. After the danger had passed, many of these forced converts wanted to return to the Jewish community. However, this was complicated by the fact that they had been forced to swear vows of fealty to another religion. Because of the seriousness with which the Jewish tradition views verbal promises, the Kol Nidrei legal formula was developed to enable those forced converts to return and pray with the Jewish community, absolving them of the vows that they made under duress.

This ancient ceremony found a special place in the hearts of the Jewish people and has been maintained for centuries as an especially solemn and moving introduction to the holiday evening service of Yom Kippur. Kol Nidrei has no effect upon vows or promises that we make and break with other people. They still remain valid and, if broken, forgiveness and absolution must be sought from the people affected — not from God. As the Talmud teaches, “Yom Kippur does not forgive transgressions between a man and his fellow–until (or unless) he seeks forgiveness from him (directly)” (Mishnah Yoma 8:9).

Erev [the evening of] Yom Kippur is the only night of the entire Jewish calendar when a tallit (prayer shawl) is worn in the evening. As a matter of fact, it is traditional to wear a tallit or a white garment for the whole of the holiday, the color white symbolizing both our spiritual purity and our withdrawal from the vanities of this world. A white robe, called a kittel , is worn by traditionally observant men over their holiday clothes. Others may choose to wear a white item of clothing or dress completely in white.

Yom Kippur Daytime Services: Forgiveness and Repentance

The daytime services of Yom Kippur are characterized by their emphasis on the two major themes of forgiveness and teshuvah , or repentance. According to the traditional Jewish prayers, God forgives us for the sins that affect no one else other than our relationship with God. For sins that affect and harm others, we must first apologize and seek forgiveness from those whom we have hurt. Only then are the prayers of Yom Kippur considered effective in absolving our sins.

Teshuvah is the process by which we recognize our sins, feel regret for having committed them, and then resolve not to do them again and make restitution for any harm we may have caused. All of the major prayers of the Yom Kippur liturgy focus on these themes.

Since Yom Kippur is a fast day, there need not be any breaks for lunch or other meals. Therefore, Yom Kippur has evolved over the centuries into a full day of communal worship services, although many communities still do break for a short period before Mincha , the afternoon service. Beginning with Shachrit , the morning service, the prayers occupy themselves with the above-mentioned themes of seeking forgiveness for sin and engaging in the process of teshuvah, or repentance.

Yom Kippur Torah Service

The Torah portion traditionally read on Yom Kippur morning is taken from Leviticus 16, which details the ancient biblical Yom Kippur rituals in which two goats would be selected as symbolic sacrifices.(Reform Jews instead read selections from Deuteronomy 29 and 30, as a reaffirmation of  accepting covenantal responsibility.) One would be sacrificed to God in the ancient belief that animal sacrifice could achieve divine ablution from sin, and the other goat literally became the “scapegoat” upon which the High Priest would symbolically place all the sins of the Jewish people. This scapegoat would then be sent off into the desert to a demon known as Azazel (presumably to die there), thus carrying away the sins of the people.

The Haftarah, or additional biblical reading, is taken from Isaiah 57-58, in which the prophet criticizes the empty, superficial religious rituals of the ancient Israelites when the rites are not accompanied by acts of righteousness, charity, and morality.

One of the unique aspects of the liturgy of Yom Kippur is a section of prayers called the Viddui, or confession. In these prayers, the community literally recites an alphabet of different transgressions it has committed, from A to Z (or, actually, Aleph to Tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet ). The language of the prayers, however, is instructional, for they are all in the plural; the point is that no one single person has committed all of these sins, but rather we, as a community, are collectively responsible. When reciting the lists of sins, it is traditional to gently beat on one’s breast over the heart in a symbolic act of self-remonstration.

Yom Kippur Musaf

The Musaf, or additional service, is a repetition of the main themes of the Shachrit service and includes many ancient and medieval religious poems included over the centuries to continue to heighten the spiritual experience of the day. Two unique additions to the Yom Kippur Musaf liturgy are the Martyrology and the Avodah , or worship, service.

The Martyrology is actually a long medieval poem that describes in painfully gruesome detail the deaths of famous rabbis during ancient Roman persecutions . This poem, oftentimes including additions from the time of the Holocaust , is intended to impress upon us the spiritual devotion of our ancestors, as well as to intensify the religious and emotional tenor of the day.

This is followed by the Avodah service, which refers to the rituals performed on Yom Kippur in the Temple in Jerusalem in ancient times. Basing itself on biblical precedents, the Avodah service is taken from rabbinic and talmudic sources and describes the historical highlights of the awesome and overwhelming pageantry of the priests and Levites in the Temple, with the people in attendance. The highlight of this ancient service describes how the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost and holiest sanctuary of the Temple, to present an offering of incense and then emerge triumphantly to declare God’s acceptance of the peoples’ prayers for atonement.

Liberal movements that do not have a Musaf service include elements of the Musaf service either in the morning or in the afternoon service. Some liberal communities have also designed creative Avodah services, rather than acting out rituals that were done in the ancient Temple.

Yom Kippur Mincha

Depending upon the length of services, there may or may not be a short break in the afternoon before the Mincha service. At this service, the Torah is once again read, this time concerning the laws of forbidden marriages (Leviticus 18). (Reform Jews read Leviticus 19, “the holiness code.”) Because sexuality can and should be a vehicle for creating the divine presence in our lives, it is appropriate that such a seemingly profane topic should be read in public on Yom Kippur. The Haftarah for the Mincha service is the entire biblical book of Jonah , which deals with the theme of repentance.

Neilah: The Final Yom Kippur Service

The final service of Yom Kippur is the Neilah service. Neilah literally means “closing” and refers to the symbolic closing of the gates of heaven and, hence, God’s willingness to hear the prayers of the Jewish people. There is, therefore, a spiritual urgency motivating prayer at this service, as the sun is beginning to set and most people are light-headed and exhausted from the long day of fasting and praying. The highlight of this service is that, for a lengthy portion of it, the doors of the ark are opened, revealing the Torahs inside.

Whenever the doors of the ark are opened, it is customary to stand out of honor and deference to the holiness of the divine words contained in them. Since the doors of the ark are then left open throughout the lengthy last part of the service, the entire congregation is traditionally expected to remain standing for quite a while during this final, spiritually urgent prayer service. Although, it should be noted, that if this period of prolonged standing proves to be too uncomfortable or even dangerous to the health of some in the congregation, it is appropriate to sit down.

The Neilah service builds in intensity until it concludes with a final Tekiah Gedolah, or great blast of the Shofar , the ram’s horn. This blast, usually blown as soon as the stars come out, signals the conclusion of the Day of Atonement. Once they have heard the shofar, most people rush off to attend the festive and much needed “ break-fast ” meal immediately following services, ready to enter the new year with their spiritual batteries recharged. In many congregations, this rush is delayed by a few minutes for the recitation of Maariv , the evening prayer; because days, in Jewish tradition, begin at sundown, this actually is the Maariv prayer of the day after Yom Kippur, and is emphasized by many congregations so that the clean slate after Yom Kippur is not immediately sullied by skipping a daily prayer service.

Pronounced: KITT-ul, Origin: Yiddish, a white robe that men and some women wear during High Holiday services. White represents the purity we hope to achieve through our prayers on these holy days.

Pronounced: MINN-khah, Origin: Hebrew, the afternoon prayer service. According to traditional interpretation of Jewish law, men are commanded to pray three times a day.

Ne’ilah

Pronounced: NEE-luh or neh-ee-LAH, Origin: Hebrew, the closing service on Yom Kippur.

Pronounced: tah-LEET or TAH-liss, Origin: Hebrew, prayer shawl.

Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.

Pronounced: yohm KIPP-er, also yohm kee-PORE, Origin: Hebrew, The Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and, with Rosh Hashanah, one of the High Holidays.

Pronounced: TALL-mud, Origin: Hebrew, the set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history.

Pronounced: MISH-nuh, Origin: Hebrew, code of Jewish law compiled in the first centuries of the Common Era. Together with the Gemara, it makes up the Talmud.

Pronounced: EH-ruv, Origin: Hebrew, evening, eve, usually used to denote the first night of a Jewish holiday, such as Erev Yom Kippur (Jewish days begin at sundown).

Pronounced: tuh-SHOO-vah, (oo as in boot) Origin: Hebrew, literally “return”, referring to the “return to God” teshuvah is often translated as “repentance.” It is one of the most significant themes and spiritual components of the High Holidays.

Pronounced: SHAKH-reet, Origin: Hebrew, morning prayer service.

Pronounced: mah-ah-REEV, Origin: Hebrew, evening prayer service. According to traditional interpretation of Jewish law, Jewish men are required to pray three times a day.

Pronounced: hahf-TOErah or hahf-TOE-ruh, Origin: Hebrew, a selection from one of the biblical books of the Prophets that is read in synagogue immediately following the Torah reading.

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