Kol Nidre Tot Service

A fun, active service led by Rabbi Keren Gorban with stories, singing, and dancing for families with children ages 0–5. Open to the community.

Click to download the 2018 ~ 5779 High Holy Days booklet.

"Kol Nidre means 'all vows' and is the name given to the special liturgical formulation chanted by Jews solely on Yom Kippur. It is a legal formula for the annulment of vows, which dates back many centuries. The practice of reciting Kol Nidre probably began in about the 9th century C.E. Recited in a mix of Hebrew and Aramaic, the vernacular language of the time, Kol Nidre cancels and annuls all unintended vows made to God during the previous year.

Tradition teaches that on Rosh HaShanah the Book of Life is written and on Yom Kippur our decree for New Year is sealed. We are taught that by doing t’shuvah (repentance), t’filah (prayer), and tzedakah (charity), we can have an effect on the severity of the decree. As a result, much of the Yom Kippur liturgy and the prescribed acts for all of the Yamim Noraim are aimed at achieving this goal. Yom Kippur, like Shabbat, is a day when one refrains from work. Leviticus 23:32 describes Yom Kippur as a Shabbat Shabbaton - a sabbath of complete rest. One of the greetings for this day is 'G'mar chatimah tovah,' 'May you be sealed for a good year ahead.'"*

*Source: https://reformjudaism.org/yom-kippur-customs-and-rituals-0