Yom Kippur 2021

Welcome to Yom Kippur at Knesset Israel

Services are available (live & recorded) on the KI Livestream
or on the Knesset Israel channel on the Boxcast App (Roku/Kindle Fire TV/AppleTV)
Mahzorim (prayer books) are available in the sanctuary. Click for an e-Mahzor.

Approximately 120-150 seats are available in the sanctuary & social hall.
Only people who are vaccinated against Covid-19 should attend in person.
(Children under 12 are also welcome.) There is no registration process.

Masks are required. 
Only attend in person if you are feeling healthy.

Please make an extra effort to be kind during this season of
compassion and forgiveness, at KI and in general.

Fasting
The central observance of Yom Kippur is a 25-hour fast, commencing just before sundown and continuing through nightfall. Fasting is meant to deepen the prayer experience, reduce distraction and help us get in touch with our own vulnerability and mortality.

Fasting is a personal matter. Many in the synagogue will be fasting; some, for medical reasons, will be unable to do so. Our mahzor incorporates a prayer meant for those unable to fast. If you are feeling ill or faint or have been advised by your doctor not to fast, please do not push your limits.

The ritual of fasting cannot be understood as an end in itself. The haftara on Yom Kippur makes it abundantly clear that a fast that fails to attune us to our duties towards the poor, hungry, and homeless is a fast in vain.

On the Service
Knesset Israel's Yom Kippur services are moving, participatory and transformative. Members of the community lead the congregation in prayer, blending traditional modes and contemporary melodies. Our spiritual leader, Rabbi David Weiner, sets the tone for the services and enriches them with opportunities for reflection and study. The evening service on Tuesday will begin with an arrangement of Kol Nidre for the violin.

Some people follow every word of the service, with help from page announcements; others choose to use the mahzor as a guide for reflection, thought and meditation as the service continues around them. Take your time to get what you need from the day.

To learn more about the content of the Yom Kippur services, click here.

Logistics

Choosing When to Attend in Person
The number of worshipers rises and falls over the course of the holy day, peaking every year at Yizkor. To help the community protect our health, please consider attending the 'more popular' services online and 'less popular' services in person. In particular, streaming Yizkor will help the congregation avoid crowding in the sanctuary and social hall.

KI will also recite Yizkor on the morning of Shemini Atzeret - Tuesday, September 28, at about 10:30 a.m.

Arrival
Plan to arrive on time for Kol Nidre, allowing for time to park. The musical introduction and Kol Nidre are highlights of the service that come right at its beginning.

On Yom Kippur morning, the congregation builds from the beginning of the service until about 10:30 a.m. Because we are holding children's programming in the tent, it is unsafe to allow parking in the backyard. Those who are fit should please park in the neighborhood and walk to KI. Please be patient with the police officers and parking attendants; they are here to keep everybody safe.

When you arrive, please check in with a greeter, then enter through the front or side door of the synagogue. Please also stop by the Yom Kippur Appeal table to pick up your pledge envelope; gifts pledged make a big difference in our congregation's success and continuing vibrancy. (Envelopes not picked up will be mailed home after the holiday.)

Face Masks
Masks are required in the KI building before, during, and after services. The service leaders, rabbi, and Torah readers will remove their masks while they are actively leading the congregation. 

Seating & Social Distance
Ushers may direct you to a particular door for entry; please follow their instructions and enter quietly, mindful that others already in the room may be well into a prayerful mood. The door from the lobby to the sanctuary will be used for exit only. Please expect to enter through one of the social hall doors. Seating is unreserved. Please do not save seats - especially not in the sanctuary, and especially not early in the service. 

The social hall is set up for social distancing. In the sanctuary, please sit in every other row, as directed by the ushers, and leave three empty seats between parties.

Dress
Traditional dress on Yom Kippur reminds us of our mortality. Many wear white on Yom Kippur - whether in the form of a kittel (the customary white robe) or a white blouse or dress shirt. This is meant to mirror the simplicity of burial shrouds. Non-leather shoes, such as Crocs or Keds, are preferred over dress shoes on Yom Kippur - this is one of the observances of the fast. Please avoid perfume.

You can expect the KI sanctuary to be a little cool to help ease the burden of the fast and make it easier to wear a mask. Some may wish to bring a sweater.

Garments for Prayer
All men must wear a kipa (head covering); women may, as well. All Jewish men must wear a tallit (prayer shawl) while in the prayer service; women may, as well. KI has some prayer shawls available to borrow. However, those who own one are encouraged to please bring their own tallit. Ushers are available to help all worshipers find what they need.

Unique to Yom Kippur: The tallit is worn during all services from the beginning of Kol Nidre (not the minha that precedes it) until the end of Neilah.

Taking a Break
The Yom Kippur service is lengthy. When you need to stretch your legs, please try to exit quietly when the congregation is seated and not listening to a speaker. Mask breaks should take place outdoors. Please follow the ushers' directions when you are ready to re-enter.

Children
KI offers children's programming on Yom Kippur morning. Weather permitting, classes and Junior Congregation will take place in the tent in KI's backyard. Snack is provided. Advance reservations are required for babysitting. For details, please contact Judith Weiner.

Rosh Hashana Replay
Did you miss a part of the service you wanted to hear on Rosh Hashana? Would you like to share a highlight with a friend outside the congregation? KI's Livestream feed has recordings of the Rosh Hashana services and speeches.

On the first day, Jesse Cook-Dubin spoke at 2:00:30. On the second day, Rabbi Weiner spoke beginning at 2:05:21. Recordings will remain online for a few weeks.

Detailed Service Schedule

Services held in the sanctuary are also Livestreamed.

Thursday, September 9
• Davening on Zoom | 7 PM (ID 934-910-554)

Friday, September 10
• Kabbalat Shabbat (Ohel) | 5:45 PM

Saturday, September 11
• Shaharit | 9:30 AM

Sunday, September 12
• Shaharit (Ohel) | 8:45 AM

Tuesday, September 14
• Davening on Zoom | 7 PM (ID 934-910-554)

Wednesday, September 15 – Erev Yom Kippur
• Minha | 6:30 PM         
• Kol Nidre and Maariv | 6:40 PM
 
Thursday, September 16 – Yom Kippur
• Shaharit | 9:00 AM      
• Torah Service/Yizkor | approximately 10:30 AM
• Minha | 4:55 PM
• Neila | 6:20 PM
• Tekiah Gedolah/Maariv/Havdala | 7:45 PM