Cellist’s path to Judaism

Published on May 15, 2013

When cellist Lynn Harrell would play “Kol Nidre” at his synagogue on Yom Kippur, he felt more than the notes and the melody. It was through the music that he discovered he wanted to become a Jew.

Hank Greenberg in extra innings

Published on May 9, 2013

"I think Hank Greenberg was the great American hero," Washington filmmaker Aviva Kempner says. "What he did on Yom Kippur. What he faced. He was our Jackie Robinson."

Thoughts on the Visioning Process

By Susan Esther Barnes
Published on February 13, 2013

A life saved during Kol Nidre service

By Ryan Torok
Published on October 3, 2012

Lips and face blue, Temple Akiba congregant Duke Molner lay unconscious, without a pulse, outside the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, during Kol Nidre services on Sept. 25.

You ain’t heard Kol Nidre yet

Published on September 20, 2012

On Kol Nidre, we sing for our lives. At the minyan where I pray, as a lay "shaliach tzibur," or service leader, I was asked to lead the singing this year, and I was starting to wonder if I was up to it.

Israel’s alt Yom Kippur

Published on September 19, 2012

With its lively beaches, all-night clubs and restaurants serving ham and shrimp, Tel Aviv is a city known more for its Speedos than its spirituality.

High Holy Day services guide: Family services

By JewishJournal
Published on August 24, 2012

For other services, visit our Alternative, College, Free, Kever Avot, Selichot and Tashlich calendars.

High Holy Day services guide: College services

By JewishJournal
Published on August 24, 2012

For other services, visit our Alternative, Family, Free, Kever Avot, Selichot and Tashlich calendars.

High Holy Day services guide: Alternative services

By JewishJournal
Published on August 24, 2012

For other services, visit our College, Family, Free, Kever Avot, Selichot and Tashlich calendars.

Opinion: A day for the soul

By David Suissa
Published on October 12, 2011

Trust the Jews to begin the holiest moment of the year on Yom Kippur not with a prayer, but with an ambiguous declaration. The Kol Nidre is not a prayer; it is a text that

Letters to the Editor: Occupy Wall Street, Michael Oren, Kol Nidre, Yom Kippur

Published on October 12, 2011

Letters to the editor

Why I went to Occupy L.A. instead of synagogue

Published on October 12, 2011

A little more than a month ago, I became a Bat Mitzvah. In Judaism, that means I am now an adult and have pledged to keep the traditions of my faith. And yet it was for those very reasons that I decided to spend Yom Kippur - the holiest day of the Jewish year - joining the protesters of Occupy L.A. instead of going to synagogue.

Friends, Love, God & the High Holidays

By Ilana Angel
Published on October 9, 2011

Craving connection

By Danielle Berrin
Published on October 5, 2011

An insider’s view of also being an outsider

By Jonathan Kirsch
Published on September 27, 2011

Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t a variant of Gresham’s law at work in the arts and letters of the digital age: Is bad writing driving out good? The sheer volume and velocity of the blogosphere, for example, seems to hide the moments of discernment and reflection.

American Idol’s Adam Lambert sings “The Prayer”

By Danielle Berrin
Published on May 1, 2009

If you stream Kol Nidre, they will watch

By Tom Tugend
Published on October 23, 2008

When Rabbi Naomi Levy conducted Kol Nidre services this year, her congregation numbered 200,000, stretching from Canada to Colombia and from Japan to Norway

Reporter’s Notebook: A Christian makes teshuvah

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on October 16, 2008

When I looked around I saw a packed, spiritually moved house of Jews, many who looked a lot like me: Chuck Taylor sneakers, thick plastic glasses, the curly hair that always has reminded me of my family's story.

Calendar Girls Picks and Clicks Oct. 4 - 10: Yom Kippur observances, fashion frenzy, Naomi Wolf

By Dikla Kadosh and Danielle Berrin
Published on October 2, 2008

Fast meals to beat the Kol Nidre rush

Published on September 18, 2008

It's a scramble every year, but Jews somehow manage to beat the clock getting dinner to the table on Yom Kippur eve -- the most hurried meal on the holiday calendar

Jewish TV Network brings High Holy Days home with Kol Nidre webcast

By Robert David Jaffee
Published on September 13, 2007

It was only a matter of time before hi-tech came to the High Holy Days. This year the Jewish Television Network will webcast Wilshire Boulevard Temple's entire Kol Nidre service, the first time viewers will be able to watch such a service live over the Internet.

Atoning for the sin of rushing dinner to get to Kol Nidre

By Linda Morel
Published on September 28, 2006

Make ahead recipes for Yom Kippur.

Four Ways to Hear the Days of Awe

By George Robinson
Published on September 15, 2005

The Days of Awe evoke many feelings, but my first thoughts invariably turn to the special music of these days. From the solemn, almost brooding melody of Kol Nidre to the lilting "High Holiday" tune that unifies the music of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, there is much in which to delight.

Perhaps because this is the only synagogue music that many Jews hear all year, there are fewer alternative versions of the High Holiday liturgy than of, say, "Lecha Dodi" or "Adon Olam." Still, these albums should help put you in a proper frame of mind.

Your Basic High Holiday FAQ

Published on September 15, 2005

Every year they roll around, and every year you're not quite sure what to do. Go ahead, ask us. After years of answering readers' questions, we've compiled the most frequently asked ones below:

The Lowdown on Ritual and Worship

By Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
Published on September 15, 2005

"Why are Rosh Hashanah and especially Yom Kippur so important to my Jewish partner? He almost never attends services the rest of the year, isn't observant and doesn't even know what he believes about God. Yet, at this time of year, he insists on attending services. What's the big deal with these holidays?"

There are both "official" and "unofficial" answers to these questions. Perhaps not surprisingly, the unofficial explanations are often the more significant ones. The official answers (to which I'll return shortly) speak in terms like judgment, sin, repentance, life and death. The unofficial answers have something to do with the complicated puzzle of American Jewish identity.