Kol Nidrei: Soulful Melody, Controversial Text
If one were to ask Reform congregants what single piece of liturgy epitomizes Yom Kippur for them, the answer surely would be Kol Nidrei. Its haunting melody, traditionally chanted three times before the open ark with all of the Torah-scrolls being held in front of the congregation, ushers in the most solemn day of the Jewish year. Indeed, this prelude to the Yom Kippur evening service is so impressive that the service itself has become popularly known as “Kol Nidrei” or “Erev Kol Nidrei.” Yet the text has been a subject of ongoing controversy since its first appearance in a rabbinic liturgical compendium in the ninth century C.E
Yom Kippur Customs and Rituals
When You Get Stuck in the Fish
Overview of the Yom Kippur Liturgy
Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year. On it is played out the great human drama of reckoning and accountability, making amends for past errors and misdeeds, and – ultimately – forgiveness and reconciliation.