Thursday, September 20, 2018

Yom Kippur Report 2018


It was a very tiring, very exhausting day and I am not sure why. Usually, I finish on a note of exhilaration. I come home alive and energetic. By the time we finished yesterday, I was groggy and drained. I ate very little and was asleep very quickly.

Final meal: Traditional fare, including roast chicken and a chicken soup with kreplach.

First meal: Potato soup and a pseudo-Italian noodle dish containing sauce and cheese. I know the rabbis say the first meal should be a festive seuda but we're not in that habit

Finishing times: We finished the evening service at around 9:30. The day service began at eight, and we got our break at 3. We returned for the last act at 5 and finished on time.

Boredom Report: I have said many times that I don't find Yom Kippur boring, and for the most part the service was rousing and energetic. However, in the interest of honesty, I must report that maariv was a little boring. This is because our chazzan chose slow, dull melodies. The avodah was another low point. Our chazaan gave us no drama or energy. He and the crowd seemed to be on different planes.

Annoyance: We didn't sing "l'shana habaa"

Best discovery: The Koren machzor is full of little expository and homiletical jewels. Last night, I finally read the mini-sermon that accompanies the end of Neillah. It is a masterpiece of religious humanism and so many miles above the sort of tepid, selfish, magical thinking, self-help in a Jewish wrapper nonsense I am usually fed.

How did it go in your neck of the woods?
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