Angels in the Streets

Yom Kippur in Jerusalem was quite an experience - actually one of my favorites so far as it was truly something that could not be repeated really anywhere else in the world. After running around a bit to prepare for the holiday on Sunday morning and scrounging through leftovers before the fast began around 4:45pm, Max and I left our apartment to attend Kol Nidre services at Yedidya, a modern orthodox synagogue near Pardes. We were immediately aware of all of the others who were also trying to make their way to services to begin the holiday. It really was neat to see tons of others leaving their homes and heading to the various shuls/minyans around the city. It is a custom here for everyone to wear white on Yom Kippur. In the U.S., it is common for the rabbis and/or chazens to wear white robes and for many to use all while tallitot (prayer shals), but here everyone adopts this custom, which relates to the idea of purifying yourself on Yom Kippur as you are being atoned for your sins.

Anyway, we luckily found open seats in both the men's and women's sections at Yedidya and enjoyed a very nice Kol Nidre service. Just as a side note, we had discussed in our Halacha (Jewish law) class the week prior how the Kol Nidre service has been given a heightened status (especially in the U.S., but also for secular Jews in Jerusalem) and is considered among many to be the "most important service of the year." In reality, this service focuses on one element - the annulment of vows - so basically, by participating in the service one is able to annul all vows between themselves and God that they may have made (purposely or absentmindedly) in the last year. It is not really intended to be a profound or amazing service (although the prayers are sung quite beautifully) relative to the prayers of s'lichot (forgiveness) or the Musaf and Neila services of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. And yet, many have claimed this start of Yom Kippur to be the day that all Jews, no matter how religious or observant, should be in synagogue. Anyway, I think this helps to explain why so many Jews are quite disillusioned from the holidays - they are taught that Kol Nidre is so "important" and yet they have such a hard time connecting to the service (as it is a bit obscure and only a small component of the whole high holiday season). Anyway, just something to think about ... even so, we enjoyed the evening and luckily ran into many "Pardesniks" there as well.

After services, we had heard that it was really cool to walk around the city ... honestly, I wasn't sure what would be so different on this night as oppose to walking around on Shabbat, which is nice since there are less cars and you often run into people heading to various homes for Shabbat dinner, etc. ... but this was another experience entirely! We quickly learned that it is illegal to drive in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur, and as such, it is magnificent to walk the streets at night. Everyone is out (as no one has anywhere to go - no eating, no drinking, no parties) - so everyone just congregates in the streets. We walked up Emek Refaim, the main popular drag in this part of Jerusalem, and all the streets around it were filled with tons of people, all dressed in white. All stores, restaurants, EVERYTHING is closed ... and yet, the city is filled with such an inspiring energy. It really brought a whole new meaning to the holiday. We quickly found a large group of Pardesniks and enjoyed seeing everyone. We had some friends who decided to walk all the way to the old city, but we opted to take a slow walk home and enjoyed seeing families in every street - playing games, riding bikes and scooters - all the way to our apartment.

We attended services at Yedidya for the morning and early afternoon. I enjoyed them mostly, although once we reached the repetition of the Musaf Amidah, which I had already heard during the earlier Shacharit service, I started losing interest - it is hard to sit still for 4 plus hours with no food in your stomach :) Anyway, we walked all of the way home, took a quick nap, and then I decided to head to Shirah Hadashah, another synagogue/service a bit more on the modern of traditional, for the Mincah and Neila services. As Max opted to read and do stuff at home, I have to say it was quite an experience just walking by myself from my apartment to Shirah Hadashah. It was so peaceful in the streets, just quiet and tranquil - I almost enjoyed the walking and time to reflect more than the the community praying. Luckily, I ran into my friend Shirah as I was walking into Shirah Hadasha and she helped me to find a seat (since we hadn't paid to reserve one). Overall, I enjoyed the singing atmosphere of the service - hard to believe the leaders can have so much kavanah (~devotion/spirit in praying) after fasting for 24 plus hours.

Anyway, the blast of the shofar, which signifies the end of the holiday, was quite a relief - exciting to be starting the year 5757 in Jerusalem! We conclude the Yom Kippur service by singing "L'shana Haba'a B'Yerushalim" - "Next Year in Jerusalem" - which is a common idea in Judaism. Usually, when we sing this verse, I think literally, that we are all supposed to hope to be in the land of Israel, and that next year, maybe we will be. Well, this year, WE ARE HERE! And yet, everyone still sings the verse just the same. Probably partly out of hope that again next year, we will all be physically standing in the land of Israel. But being here and singing these words forced to me to think about the other reason I have learned why we say this - to hope that by next year, the Messiah will come and that ALL Jews will be together in Jerusalem. I'm still not sure how I really relate to this concept, but mostly I hope that this won't be the last time I experience life in Israel. And although we know that we will likely not be here next year for the holidays, that we keep the hope that Israel will be here and that others can come to experience the holidays as we have this year.

After inhaling a quick nosh (snack) at the community center where the service was being held - it's always such an experience to survive the fast and get to eat again - I headed with Shirah to meet Max and others at a break-fast at our friend Marni's apartment. Yummy food and lots of new friends - a great way to start the new year.

One last note per the title of this entry - I read in the Machzor, which the prayer book we use on Yom Kippur, that we are likened to angels on Yom Kippur as we are in a state of purity, free from all sin for which we have repented. Surely, this one day of the year, the streets of Jerusalem are filled with many wondering Jews, dressed all in white, looking for direction and hope as they head into the next year - maybe the mystical idea of angels isn't so far off.