Shana Tova! I hope you all had an enjoyable Rosh Hashana experience, and I look forward to seeing you this Friday night as we begin Yom Kippur. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you prepare for the holiday:
1) I highly recommend a wonderful book entitled, All These Vows: Kol Nidrei, a collection of essays about the meaning behind the Kol Nidrei service. From music, to history, to how Kol Nidrei is like a baseball game, this book is a fantastic resource to help you prepare for and understand this service. Check out this link for a preview of some of the articles in this important volume.
2) Considering Break Fast: I have very fond memories of breaking the fast as a small child. Our family’s custom was fairly traditional, with friends and family gathering for bagels and kugels at our house following the conclusion of Yom Kippur services. The traditional break fast has been changing somewhat with the times; check out this recent NY Times article that probes the tension between the Break Fast as “the place to be” versus the “culmination of a religious experience.”
Have an easy and meaningful fast and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life!