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11645 Ladue Road, St. Louis, MO 63141 | Phone: 314-569-0010 | Member Login
N’ilah is the final service of Yom Kippur. It takes place close to when the sun is setting, after a long day of fasting and spiritual work. It is a service designed to help us walk out of the sanctuary confident in our ability to keep the promises we have made and affect the changes Continue Reading »
“Neilah? What’s that?” I know, many Jews have long believed that the closing service on the day of Yom Kippur is the Yizkor, or memorial service, after which it is traditional for Jews to leave the synagogue, to beat the traffic, and go to an early break the fast. The truth, of course, could not Continue Reading »
Repentance and forgiveness have deep roots in the Jewish literary tradition. Studying these sacred texts deepens our understanding of the essence of Yom Kippur and helps facilitate our own process of teshuva. Mishkan Hanefesh provides a range of texts for such study as part of the Yom Kippur morning service. These texts are arranged chronologically, Continue Reading »
Yes, we do. Confessional prayers (in Hebrew, vidui) are part of the Jewish process of atonement. Vidui prayers are traditionally recited each night as part of the bedtime Shema. There is also a deathbed confession and a service of confessional prayers that we say on Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur we recite the vidui prayers Continue Reading »
I have fond memories of the Kol Nidrie of my childhood. I recall it as a service of unparalleled spectacle. The entire community was there, all packing into the sanctuary dressed for the holiday. As the ark was opened, the Congregation would rise together with a sense of solemn responsibility. We remained standing for what Continue Reading »
Upon entering a traditional synagogue on the evening of Yom Kippur, the solemn night of Kol Nidre, the haunting prayer of annulment of vows and forgiveness, one might be struck by something unusual. Unlike every other night of the Jewish year, when hardly a single tallit (prayer shawl) is seen in a traditional shul, Yom Continue Reading »
Throughout the course of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we will join together in Kaddish Yatom (the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer) numerous times. This prayer is said as we call to mind loved ones who have passed away, members of our families and community whom we miss. The last line of the Mourner’s Kaddish reads: Oseh Continue Reading »
There is a story of a young boy who lived near the forest. Every day he would wander into the woods by himself. Over time his father became concerned for his safety. After all, the forest could be a dangerous place. So he asked the boy what he was doing in the woods. “I go Continue Reading »
Ever since I was a little boy, I have loved the sound of the shofar. When I was a young teen preparing to become a Bar Mitzvah, my grandparents gave me the gift of a shofar; that small, black and white ram’s horn still sits on my shelf in a place of honor. Not only Continue Reading »
One of the most difficult Jewish ideas for many of us who seek Jewish meaning is the idea of the “chosen people.” Were we chosen, or are we choosing? Does this idea of being chosen mean that we have been singled out, or is it simply a way to identify our unique destiny, different from Continue Reading »