Kol Nidre at Occupy Wall Street Protest
With thousands of people attending the Occupy Wall Street protest in NYC what is one to do when Yom Kippur comes up? That’s is simple have a service while you protest. Yom Kippur , Also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora’im (“Days of Awe”)
Daniel Sieradski saw an oppertunity and a need to create a Kol Nidre Service for Jewish protesters and create an an outlet for unity.
The service will begin at 7PM sharp. It will be held in Zuccotti Park at Liberty Plaza and Broadway in Manhattan. Signs will be posted individuals can ask someone at an information table where the Yom Kippur service is being held.
It will be a traditional egalitarian service: Hebrew language with some English readings and a gender neutral space.
The service is going to be conducted by volunteer leaders Avi Fox Rosen (Storahtelling), Sarah Wolf (JTS), and Getzel Davis (Hebrew College), who are being assisted in preparations by Yosef Goldman (JTS) and Rabbi Ezra Weinberg (RRC). Affiliation is for identification purposes only.
They are asking individuals to bring your their own Yom Kippur Prayer books but they will have 100 on hand which were graciously loaned to them by The Rabbinical Assembly for Conservative Judaism. If you prefer, you can download and print this PDF version to bring with you: http://is.gd/AM22Xa. There is also a supplement we request that you print out and bring with you:http://is.gd/idv5aY.
Utilizing social media Daniel was able to bring awareness about this service. Over 300 people responding that they will attend this will truly be one of the most interesting Yom Yom Kippur Service in NYC