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Yom Kippur
What is the connection between Noah’s Arc and the most holy day of the year? At first glance there is none, but, nonetheless, if we pay attention to the term that is central to this day, kippur, we discover that the root of this difficult word, the best translation for which is “expiation,” is tied to the history of floods, where it appears for the first time.
Upon announcing the destruction of the planet to him, the Creator advises Noah to “Make an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall you make in the ark, and shall cover it (vechafartah) inside and outside with pitch (cofer).” (Genesis 6:14) It is an intelligent challenge to think of teshuvah as the pitch with which one is to cover oneself inside and out, and that we should wear, lest the waters of our transgressions drown us and dilute the colors of the rainbow that unfold, upon the closing of Neilah, in a majestic pardon.

Get Ready, Get Set . . .Wait!

Halacha – Jewish law – as well as tradition and custom, emphasizes the need to engage in thorough preparation for the careful and fulfilling observance of Miztvot. Preparation in response to anticipation is a basic concept of life; it is well-reflected in Jewish tradition. Indeed, preparation becomes a value-laden exercise in itself.
The Mishna tells us that “early righteous ones would meditate for one hour before [required] prayer in order to direct their hearts to God.” (B’rachot 5:1)
The Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) are such a complex time that the tradition provides us with multiple frameworks through which we anticipate and prepare for its objectives. In the following activities we will use the perspective of the period from Rosh Hodesh Ellul to Yom Kippur.

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Hear Our Voice "Shema Koleinu"
- Hear the Voice of the Shofar "Lishmo‘a Kol Shofar"

In this unit on hearing the shofar, students will be challenged to consider what it means for a Jew to hear and how hearing constitutes mindfulness of their own personal spiritualwelfare as well as that of their fellow human beings. Approaching the mitsvah of hearing the shofar in this way will empower our students to explore the intersection of ritual practice, ethical sensibilities and tikkun ‘olam.

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Stories of the Eve

Stories of the eve of Yom Kippur constitute a genre of their own in Talmudic literature. Strange and unpredictable situations present themselves to the sages at this moment when time seems to pass more rapidly than usual and the imminence of the Day of Judgment is already a fact. Nevertheless, during those instants before the day in all its sacredness has arrived, the mundane bursts in with force, with the aim of making us think deeply about the preparation necessary to face the solemnity of the coming day. To keep that very intense moment of the eve from catching us unprepared, let’s review some of these stories together and learn from what happened to the sages of the Talmud in those minutes of transition between the profane and the sacred.

By Guido Cohen

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You’re the Expert on Chagei Tishrei: Yom Kippur

This exciting program is individualized for and equally useful to classrooms and camps, schools and centers! It is similar to the method that many scouting groups use to promote experience and award merit badges. Here, children will select and accomplish a certain number of activities and, through their efforts, acquire increasingly higher levels of expertise.

Each activity begins with very brief introductory material, followed by a “Tricky Question” and a creative activity. A short answer to the question is also provided.

Classrooms and schools, which may wish to emphasize independent research and study, will benefit from stressing the introductory material and Tricky Question, perhaps utilizing the creative activity as an evaluation tool.

Camps and centers, on the other hand, may take advantage of small-group dynamics by making mention of the introductory material, using the question as a teaser or motivator, providing and discussing the answer, and emphasizing the creative activity.

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The Book of Life: The Inscription we Write

The Days of Awe have the potential to be filled with trepidation and fear as well as with wonder and possibility. No words from the machzor have more potential to elicit both than the haunting words of the Unetaneh Tokef’, in which we are told that during the Days of Awe our fate in written and sealed.

This lesson offers students ways of understanding the ‘decree’ that awaits each of us in the coming year and the varied ways that it might be impacted by t’shuvah, t’fillah and tzedakah. Students are lead through a process of creating a personal understanding of the concept of ‘averting the evil of the decree’ and produce a document that might be mailed to each later in the school year as a reminder of their intention.

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Yom Kippur: Why Do We Ask? What Do We Pray For?

In this article the author proposes a conceptual approach to the place and function of prayer in general and of Yamim Noraim in particular. With the forty days between Elul and Yom Kippur as a point of departure, the article aims at responding to the question of how prayer can help us to change and to focus on those aspects of ourselves we seek to improve. To conclude, the author shares three contemporary conceptions concerning the idea of prayer, providing insights that might contribute to our own concept of what prayer means.

By Rabbi Joshua Kullock.

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Conversing With G-d

So, we pray and act in so many ways as if we know G-d, the entity on the other end of the line of communication in our lives as Jews. What do we really know? What do we think? What do we believe?
This curricular guide provides an opportunity for students and teachers/group leaders to think about how we regard G-d, what our expectations are, and the limitations of the language and means we use to describe G-d and our relationship to G-d. The series of activities and strategies used here are intended to script a journey for all members of the learning community to take together as well as explore personal feelings about G-d and G-d’s place in our lives.

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Heshbon ha-Nefesh - Unetaneh Tokef

This project is made up of five sessions aimed at exploring the following concepts:

1. Introduction to the Tefilah: Unetaneh Tokef
2. Analysis of Unetaneh Tokef
3. The concept of Tefilah
4. The concept of Teshuva
5. The concept of Tzedaka

“The mission of these concepts and the actions they imply is that of lessening the severity of the verdict”

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Rosh Hashanah/ Yom Kippur: Exploring Themes of Teshuvah

How does Teshuvah make us better people? What do the calls of the Shofar say to us? What do we wish to throw away with our Tashlich crumbs, and what should we keep?
This project will take participants through a series of encounters, culminating with a family program, which will explore Teshuvah through creative dramatics, learning the meaning of the various shofar calls and their relation to the chagim, art, poetry, and finally an interactive family activity with a meaningful "air tashlich" ceremony.
The activities may be run as a unit in sequence, or individually as desired.

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