September Webinar Q&A and Resources
If you missed the September Webinar on "High Holidays: The Challenge and Opportunities for Spiritual Renewal for Jewish Disciples of Jesus," you can now watch it on our website or our YouTube channel.
There is never enough time for Q&A, so we are providing additional interaction with some of our September panelists below.
From your own personal experience, please give an example and some practical advice on how to navigate through the High Holidays in the light of your particular Jewish and Christian/Messianic tradition.
Dr. Vered Hillel:
Living in Israel is my foremost aid in navigating the High Holidays. Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are national holidays where almost everything is closed. Plus, the country prepares for the holidays long before the two holidays through sales, advertisements, and greetings. The population is made aware of the approaching holidays and prepares for them. The second aid for me is the Koren Machzor for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The introductions to both machzorim (prayer book for each Holy Day) are spiritually enlightening, and the notes throughout give helpful instructions, notes about the source of certain portions, and spiritual insights. My practical advice is to send Rosh HaShanah cards to family, friends and other acquaintances and give Rosh HaShanah gifts to people you would like to honor. Also, if possible, drop into a synagogue service on Rosh HaShanah, especially for Musaf or to the evening service on Yom Kippur to hear Kol Nidrei.
Here are a few YouTube recordings of Kol Nidrei and other special tunes from the High Holidays by one of my favorite Hazzans:
Everett Reiss:
Here are some simple things to consider: add the holidays to Google Calendar with custom reminders way in advance -- 4 weeks, 1 week, etc. This is a good way to provide some prompts to start thinking about what you want to do for the holidays. Start talking to Jewish family and friends about what they are doing for the High Holidays, maybe there are some opportunities to do things with those in your circles of influence that you didn’t even think about. Also, consider hosting a Rosh Hashanah Seder, or breakfast &/or Sukkot celebration -- but always err on the side of simplicity so as not to make these things hard to do for you, an additional stressor, or hard to repeat for next year. Most importantly, talk to the LORD about your plans, and trust he’ll provide you with a restorative holiday season of renewal.
Hebrew4Christians.com has extensive and accessible content on the High Holidays.