Kol Nidre

Kol Nidre Chant
By Kohenet Keshira HaLev Fife 
 

Kol nidre is not for beating our chests

Kol nidre is for returning to our best

Kol nidre is for releasing every vow

Kol nidre come to presence here and now

At-one-ment, at-one-ment, reflect and take it slow 

At-one-ment, at-one-ment, release and let it go

At-one-ment, at-one-ment, return to where we start 

At-one-ment, at-one-ment, aligning with our hearts
 

We gather this night, in the fading light, to acknowledge the ways we have missed the mark. To find the “teachable

moments” of the past year, and acknowledge them. These personal and collective moments where we were less than

we could have been.

Not to be in shame about them, but to let them into to the light. To name them and learn from them. To love ourselves, even in our imperfection. To love our Tribe, even when it feels like it fails us. We release and seek compassion, loving kindness, and the skills to create change out of a longing for a love-filled world.

May our release provide the space again and again recreate the world in partnership with the Holy One, and find us worthy of forgiveness – being inscribed and sealed for a year of health, joy, and abundance.

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by Kohenet Ketzirah haMa'agelet

Why is it traditional for Jews to fast on Yom Kippur? Fasting, along with wearing white and avoiding sensual pleasures, is meant to purify our bodies, minds, and spirits for Divine judgment. 

While many Jews fast from sundown to sundown on Yom Kippur, fasting isn’t for everyone. Health issues may prevent some people from being able to safely fast, and others may not find spiritual resonance and significance in the practice. With intentional adaptation, however, it’s possible to find a fasting alternative that works for your specific needs. 

You might first ask yourself whether there’s anything that would feel personally meaningful to give up for the duration of Yom Kippur. What are you particularly attached to? Many of us can’t go a day without checking our social media, or without eating sugar, for example. Start with your attachments, and see where that leads you. Hint: you should feel a little uncomfortable—this is your growth edge!—but not totally destabilizing. 

Stay with the discomfort. See if anything shifts in your experience of the day, and know that it’s okay even if nothing does. This is energetic attunement to the spirit of fasting.