We continue our Yom Kippur Service with our unique liturgy and Torah reading for this holy day. 

Yizkor – This is a reflective memorial service to remember and honor our loved ones who have died.

Neilah – Join our community outside for the concluding service on Yom Kippur. We will end services with the sound of the shofar (bring your own to help with a final blast) and also havdalah – everyone will have the opportunity to hold a candle as we end the holiest day of the year.

Before our pre-fast meal, we will have the opportunity to set our intentions for Yom Kippur. Join us for a 30 minutes service with cello, meditations, prayers, and candle lighting to mark the holiness of the moment. This pre-meditation experience is a way to set your intentions as we begin this holy night and perfect for all ages including families.

This year we will be offering many different learning sessions for those looking to enrich their Yom Kippur experience. These sessions are facilitated by members of our congregation and cover a wide range of topics including Israel, Jewish texts, and contemporary issues. The learning sessions will highlight aspects of the Yom Kippur Afternoon service including reading of Torah and the Book of Jonah as well as an in-depth look at different sections of the service.

On Yom Kippur, our clergy grounded in our Jewish tradition will lead a meditative service that focuses on the healing of mind, body, and spirit. We will use song, prayers, and meditations to provide comfort to those who need healing and those who take care of the sick.

As we approach the High Holy Days, our thoughts often turn to those who will not be by our side. Their absence is felt at the dinner table or at synagogue. Visiting the graves of our loved ones at this time of year helps us feel connected to them through the power of memory. Join Temple Emanu-El clergy at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge (1098 Woodbridge Center Drive, Woodbridge) for the Cemetery Memorial Service. Click here for directions. 

The evening service of Yom Kippur is known as Kol Nidre. The service takes its name from the prayer recited at the beginning of the service. Kol Nidre (“All Vows”) is actually a legal formula, developed during the medieval ages, which absolved one from vows made under duress.

Kol Nidre is recited three times, often while the Ark is open, and the Torah scrolls are held by those representing the leadership of the community. The haunting melody to which Kol Nidre is sung provides a solemn and moving backdrop to this holiest of days.

Kol Nidre is also the only night of the Jewish calendar when a tallit (prayer shawl) is worn. In fact, it is traditional to wear a tallit for all of the Yom Kippur services.

Shabbat Shuvah is the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Known as the Sabbath of Return, this service helps us to set our intentions as we enter the most sacred moments of the Jewish calendar.

The commandment ba’al tashchit, instructs us not to destroy. Mindful of our role in caring for the environment, join Temple Emanu-El members as we help clean up a local park area. Register here and we will be in touch with more information and specific location.