Join us for Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur afternoon! We offer a wide range of modalities throughout the day – please join us for whichever aspects feel meaningful to you.
Registration closes Thurs. Sept. 21st
On Yom Kippur afternoon, we invite you also to enjoy the park. In between or even during afternoon sessions, we invite you to walk among the trees and use this space and time however is most meaningful for you.
If wearing a tallit is a meaningful practice for you, we invite you to wear one throughout Kol Nidrei and the afternoon.
More details and registration below – help us plan by letting us know when you plan to join us!
Health, Weather & Accessibility Info:
Help us take care of each other! Please sign our health equity brit (covenant) before coming to in-person CJC gatherings. We highly recommend masking, given the new COVID variant.
Kol Nidrei will be indoors, at Pilgrim UCC in Tremont, masks encouraged. The building is ADA accessible and there is a gender neutral bathroom. There is a parking lot next to the church, and it is also accessible via public transit. The #51 and 51A bus stops about 1/2 mile away. The Red Rapid Line stops about 1 mile away. We may also be able to arrange rides.
All Yom Kippur afternoon sessions will be in or near an outdoor pavilion at Horseshoe Lake Park, Shaker Heights. In the case of rain, we will still meet, protected by the pavilion roof. In the case of severe weather, we will let you know if we decide to cancel.
On Yom Kippur afternoon, seating will be a combination of picnic benches, folding chairs, and blankets and pillows on the ground. We invite you to bring anything that will make sitting more comfortable and accessible for you.
There is a parking lot next to the pavilion and a flat paved path from the parking lot to the pavilion. The Blue/Green/Waterfront Rapid Line stops about 1/2 mile away. We may also be able to arrange rides.
Kol Nidrei
Sunday, September 24 | 8:00-9:30pm | Pilgrim UCC, Tremont (here)
Join us in yearnful song and soulful prayer, as the Gates of Tshuvah (returning/repentance) open wide. Claudia Cangemi (trombone), Mist Newman (piano), and Cicely Schonberg (vocals) will lead us in Kol Nidrei, as we enter the holiest day of the year.
Yom Kippur Afternoon
Monday, September 25 | 2:00-9:00pm | Horseshoe Lake Park, Shaker Heights (here)
***2:00-3:30pm Learning & Reflection: Anger as Fuel for Tshuvah***
please note the change in learning topic from what was originally announced
What is the relationship between anger and tshuvah (returning/realigning/repentance)? Many of us struggle with the imagery of an “angry God” or a divine judge (and for good reason!) But are there ways that this imagery might inspire us to action? How might our own anger motivate us to do tshuvah and pursue justice? In this session, we will create a container for our own self-reflection and tshuvah, using text study, chant, and journaling (if that is your practice on Yom Kippur, no writing required!)
Bring a journal if you like – we’ll also have paper and writing utensils available.
***3:45-5:00pm Nizkor (we remember): holding our grief***
We will hold space for ourselves and each other to grieve the losses of the past year, both individual and collective.
As part of this space, we will create an altar or physical memorial of our grief. We invite you to bring an item to contribute to this memorial – any physical object that you feel is connected to or represents something or someone you have lost this past year.
***5:15-6:15pm Embodied Practice with Laurel Simkoff***
Laurel Simkoff will guide us in a practice of movement, deep listening, and journaling. We will tune into our bodies and the world around us during the waning hours of Yom Kippur afternoon.
Bring a journal if you like – we’ll also have paper and writing utensils available.
***6:30-8:00pm Neilah (closing prayers) + Havdalah***
As the Gates of Tshuvah (returning/repentance) begin to close, we will return once more to yearnful song and soulful prayer. Combining traditional prayers with alternative prayers and poetry, we will seal ourselves into the year ahead.
We will transition to havdalah (the blessings distinguishing between Yom Kippur and the following day) around 7:45pm.
***8:00pm Break-fast***
Whether or not you spent the day fasting, we invite you to share this meal with us.
Even if you won’t be joining us for Neilah (closing prayers), we invite you to join us for Havdalah (the blessings distinguishing between Yom Kippur and the following day), which will begin around 7:45pm, just before the meal.