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The Binding: A Prayer for Rosh Chodesh and Women of the Wall
I was proud to have been at a Rosh Chodesh service yesterday morning in Chicago, IL. I was proud to have been asked to help lead the service, proud to don my tallit and stand before a congregation of people who had come together to pray, celebrate, and sing.
The Gates are Closing, and God's Hand is Outstretched
The N’ilah service on late Yom Kippur afternoon is notable for its image of the Gates of Repentance closing their doors. At this late and hungry hour, for the final time during the Day of Atonement, we are summoned to repentance. The fact that many Sages argue we can actually delay our atonement to the end of the Sukkot holiday does not lessen the drama of the moment.
When You Get Stuck in the Fish
Every Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the story of Jonah, perhaps because Jonah is the story of all of us.
Celebrate Rosh HaShanah with Shalom Sesame: Sounding the Shofar
Watch this Shalom Sesame video with your children and try these fun activities to explore and learn more about the shofar, Rosh HaShanah and the High Holidays!
Learn About Yom Kippur with Shalom Sesame: Saying Sorry
A new way to explore the meaning of Yom Kippur with your family: watch these Shalom Sesame videos with your children to learn about the concept of saying sorry, and try some of the activities suggested by Reform Jewish educators.
Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals
Tradition teaches that on Rosh HaShanah the Book of Life is written and on Yom Kippur our decree for New Year is sealed. These are the Yom Kippur customs and Traditions.
Rosh Chodesh
Hebrew Spelling
רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ
Literally, “head of the month.” Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of each Hebrew month when there is a new moon (when there is no moon visible in the sky).
Baal t’kiah
Hebrew Spelling
בַּעַל תְּקִיעָה
Literally, “master of t’kiah,” meaning “one who sounds the shofar.”
Bein adam laMakom
Hebrew Spelling
בֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם
Literally, “between a person and God.” Refers to the religious or ritual mitzvot, or sacred obligations. The Mishnah teaches that the day of Yom Kippur atones for sins between a person and God.