High Holy Days | Bob Schwartz

October 1, 2024

Confession for the Jewish High Holidays 5785/2024

Ashamnu
אָשַׁמְנוּ
nahn maswuwlun
نحن مسؤولون
We are responsible

Bagadnu
בָּגַדְנוּ
nahn nakhun
نحن نخون
We betray

Gazalnu
גָּזַלְנוּ
nahn nasriq
نحن نسرق
We steal

Dibarnu dofi
דִבַּרְנוּ דֹפִי
nahn nahtaqir
نحن نحتقر
We scorn

He-evinu
הֶעֱוִינוּ
nahn natasaraf bishakl munharif
نحن نتصرف بشكل منحرف
We act perversely

V’hirshanu
וְהִרְשַׁעְנוּ
nahn qusa
نحن قساة
We are cruel

Zadnu
זַדְנוּ
nahn nukhatit
نحن نخطط
We scheme

Chamasnu
חָמַסְנוּ
nahn eanifun
نحن عنيفون
We are violent

Tafalnu shaker
טָפַלְנוּ שֶקֶר
nahn alaiftira’
نحن الافتراء
We slander

Ya-atznu ra
יָעַצְנוּ רַע
nahn nabtakir alshara
نحن نبتكر الشر
We devise evil

Kizavnu
כִּזַבְנוּ
nahn naqul al’akadhib
نحن نقول الأكاذيب
We lie

Latznu
לַצְנוּ
nahn naskhar
نحن نسخر
We ridicule

Maradnu
מָרַדְנוּ
nahn naesi
نحن نعصي
We disobey

Ni-atznu
נִאַצְנוּ
nahn nasi’
نحن نسيء
We abuse

Sararnu
סָרַרְנוּ
nahn natahadak
نحن نتحداك
We defy

Avinu
עָוִינוּ
nahn nufsid
نحن نفسد
We corrupt

Tzararnu
צָרַרְנוּ
nahn eadaayiyuwna
نحن عدائيون.
We are hostile

Kishinu oref
קִשִׁינוּ עֹרֶף
nahn eanidun
نحن عنيدون
We are stubborn

Rashanu
רָשַׁעְנוּ
nahn ghayr ‘akhlaqiiyn
نحن غير أخلاقيين
We are immoral

Shichatnu
שִׁחַתְנוּ
nahn naqtul
نحن نقتل
We kill

Tiavnu
תִּעַבְנוּ
nahn nufsid
نحن نفسد
We spoil

Ta·inu
תָּעִינוּ
nahn nudil
نحن نضل
We go astray

Titanu
תִּעְתָּעְנוּ
nahn naqud alakharin ‘iilaa aldalal
نحن نقود الآخرين إلى الضلال
We lead others astray

The Jewish High Holidays 5785/2024—the ten Days of Repentance and Awe—begin with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, on the evening of October 2, and end with Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance, on October 10.

Confession is a centerpiece of the holiday. In the liturgy, Vidui includes two confessional prayers, Ashamnu and Al Cheit. Ashamnu is the shorter list of transgressions. Al Cheit is a longer detailed list of particular wrongdoings.

The past year has been one of tragedy, suffering and war in Israel, Gaza, the Middle East, and the Jewish world. Whatever our faith, status, history, ideology, grievances, or rationales, we are reminded now that none of is above responsibility, none of us as above the need for confession.

Above is my adaptation of Ashamnu. In Hebrew it is an acrostic, the first letter of each line in alphabetical order. English translations of those words vary, but all are admissions of conduct to be fixed in the year ahead. I’ve changed the common translation of the first word, Ashamnu. Often translated as “we have trespassed” or “we are guilty”, I have borrowed from Abraham Joshua Heschel. He famously said about his early protest of the Vietnam War: “In a free society, few are guilty, but all are responsible.”

My version also adds a rough translation of each expression into Arabic. Not in the least literate in the language, I’ve relied on a digital translator. For any errors in this, small or egregious, my humble and sincere apologies.

The message is that all of us, from the heinous to the heavenly, are responsible. The High Holidays insist that we are imperfect in ways that we may not acknowledge or may ignore. Our hearts may be hard when they should be soft. Why else do we literally beat our chests as we recite each of our wrongs? So we can locate our hearts, reach in, and know what condition they are in.

Shana tova. A good and sweet New Year to all.

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November 7, 2023

Revisiting last Yom Kippur and reopening the Book of Life

The Hamas massacre in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza took place just two weeks after last Yom Kippur. I have already put away the High Holy Days liturgy until next year, but I am now revisiting it.

I may detail what I find in coming messages. Maybe not. Here is a general thought.

I listed my sins in the past year and asked for forgiveness—not just of God, but first of those down-to-earth people wronged. We did the same as a community and as a people. The Book of Life had been open for ten days and then closed, supposedly sealing our fate for the coming year. Whether or not there is such a book, whether God or angels are writing in it, we don’t know. We do know that our thoughts and actions lead to consequences. Those consequences are our book.

Now, here, weeks after Yom Kippur, you can still hear the blasts of the shofar. May you write for good in your own book.

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October 11, 2016

Yom Kippur Lesser Hits

I see that a few of my older posts about the Days of Awe/High Holy Days are being read now. This is a gratifying, considering that when I read them myself, I am not all that happy with them (the writer’s curse).

It gave me the idea that maybe instead of writing something new about this Yom Kippur, which begins this evening, I would instead include links to some of the past posts.

For those who are Jewish and fasting, may you have an easy fast. For those who are not Jewish or not fasting, no worries. The opportunity to contemplate our lives is open every day to everyone, no matter who you are, no matter what you eat, or don’t.

Yom Kippur and Job

“Whether this is a day of reflection and fasting, reciting centuries-old prayers, or an ordinary day of work or study, managing others or being managed; whether you are Job beset by unexplained misfortune, or Job’s wife, ready to kill him if he doesn’t kill himself, or Job’s friends so quick with advice; whether you are being punished by God, Satan, or whatever other forces you believe are working against you; whether you are the smartest person in the room or not; this is what we can do, even if there is seemingly no comfort in it: Be awed. Be humble.”

Yom Kippur: A Serious Day for a Serious Man

“The movie closes with a note taken straight from the Book of Job. A tornado approaches. Will it be the voice of God out of the whirlwind? Or will it just be one more inexplicable disaster, one more serious touch of uncertainty? Who knows? Yom Kippur and every day, listen to Rabbi Marshak: Be a good girl or boy.”

Yom Kippur: Beyond the Self

“The tradition says that the Book of Life is open during the Ten Days of Awe. When the holy days end with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when the shofar sounds, the book closes and our lives will have been written for the next year. But the book is always open.”

Jonah, Yom Kippur, Iran and Irony

“Last week, Iranian psychotherapist Mohsen Amir-Aslani was hanged for, among other things, insulting the prophet Jonah.”

Why I Read the Qur’an This Yom Kippur

“You may believe in many respects besides religious—historical, social, cultural—that the Bible is one of the most important books in the world. You may also have to admit that in its impact, the Qur’an is its equal.”

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October 2, 2016

Live Streaming: High Holy Days at Central Synagogue

Central Synagogue

Central Synagogue in New York is one of the great synagogues and congregations in America.

If you are not attending High Holy Days services in-person anywhere, for whatever reason (don’t usually attend, not convenient, not Jewish, etc.), here is your opportunity to join in the services at Central Synagogue. Without leaving the comfort of wherever you have your PC, tablet or phone. For as little or as long a visit as you like.

Central Synagogue live streams its services. Here is just a partial schedule. (You can see the complete schedule here.) All times Eastern Time.

Erev Rosh Hashanah
Sunday, October 2, 8:00pm

Rosh Hashanah
Monday, October 3
Morning Service 9:30am

Kol Nidrei
Tuesday, October 11
6:00pm or 8:00pm

Yom Kippur
Wednesday, October 12
Morning Service 10:45am
Afternoon Service 3:30pm

No prayer books? No problem. You can download those from Central Synagogue too.

Rosh Hashanah Prayer Book

Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur Morning Prayer Book

Yom Kippur Afternoon Prayer Book

These are the highest of all Jewish services with the highest of all Jewish music and prayer on the highest of all Jewish holidays at one of the most extraordinary Jewish congregations with one of the most extraordinary rabbis. And all you need is a browser.

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Tag: High Holy Days