10/04/11 A Special Weekly Teaching From Rabbi Mitch - Kol Nidre

Weekly Teaching By Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz rabbimitch@templesholom.com
Urgent: Time Correction Kol Nidre Services: 6:00pm Friday, October 7th Look Please note that the time printed on the Kol Nidre tickets is incorrect. Kol Nidre services will take place on Friday evening at 6:00pm. On behalf of the clergy, professional staff, and lay leadership of Temple Sholom, we would like to wish you a sweet, healthy, prosperous and blessed 5772. A complete list of High Holiday services is available by visiting www.templesholom.com, or click here for more information.
Rabbi's Special Weekly Teaching: "Why is Kol Nidre at 6 PM this year?" October 5th, 2011 By now, many of you have received the email alerting you to the misprinted time on our Kol Nidre tickets, and you also hopefully know by now that the time of our service has been changed, this year, to 6:00pm. (If you haven't received the email, never fear: you will shortly receive both a phone call and a postcard about the time change as well!) From discussions about when dinner should take place to simply questioning why we have changed it from our usual time, the misprint on the Temple Sholom Kol Nidre tickets has generated an interesting conversation amongst the members of our congregation: "Why is Kol Nidre at 6 PM this year?" Kol Nidre is the dramatic beginning to our Yom Kippur observance; and as a ritual, it takes place before the evening service itself. We will take all of our Torahs out of the Aron Kodesh, and while our entire congregational family stands, Cantor Fradkin will chant the Jewish Aramaic legal formula of Kol Nidre, convening the Divine Court of Judgement in our presence and that of our loved ones, our sacred Torahs, and the Holy One. According to Jewish law (halacha), Kol Nidre should be pronounced before the sun sets and the Yom Tov candles are lit. Because the holiday this year begins early October, candle lighting is at 6:10pm. Thus, we are following the sacred commandment to gather to observe the ritual of Kol Nidre before the candles are lit. The interpretation of Kol Nidre is that we want God to recognize our sinful state of existence, and pray that He will please have compassion upon us. Within our recitation of Kol Nidre we declare our promise to live better lives in this New Year, but we also ask God to forgive us our shortcomings, as we also know to forgive our loved ones their shortcomings. In this spirit of compassion and understanding, we ask you to please forgive the misprinted time on our Temple Sholom Kol Nidre tickets. I look forward to seeing everyone at 6:00pm this Friday night. Gemar Chatimah Tovah; may we and our loved ones merit a good closing seal in the Book of Life for a year of Happiness, Health and Peace!! -Rabbi Mitch
Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 203-869-7191