Of all the Jewish holidays, Kol Nidre services are by far the most popularly attended in most communities around North America. There is something especially grand and awe-inspiring about the music, the themes of repentance and renewal. For many Jews in non-Orthodox congregations, this might be one of only a handful of times they will enter Jewish space, and it is a very particular representation of what spiritual connection can be.
Yet, if the services in and around Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were a person’s only exposure to Jewish practice, a worshiper would have a very specific set of understandings of “normal” Judaism. It can feel very much like going to the gym: if you only go once a year, the gym might feel like a taxing experience. If the gym is a regular part of your routine, though, that will likely bring about a very different relationship.
Every year, I find it ironic that one of the most engaging, uplifting holidays follows almost immediately after some of our more somber occasions. During Sukkot, the Jewish community builds huts outside to create a space of togetherness and appreciation of nature. Just as the weather begins to change for the more temperate, we are invited outside to eat our meals with a view of the stars. Many communities make great efforts to do fun programming in the Sukkah, from playing board games to engaging in book clubs. A week later, we come together to celebrate the cycle of Torah, dancing and learning and eating and celebrating in a decidedly different way from the solemnity of Yom Kippur.
The Jewish calendar is a tapestry that weaves together the huge diversity of human emotions. We need opportunities for reflection and contemplation, sure, and we get them in beautiful and stirring terms. We also need opportunities for joy, play, and ease, all of which find themselves in different moments throughout the year. To fairly assess how Judaism can bring us meaning and value, we would be well served to experience a diversity of moments during the religious calendar to fully grasp all of the moments that come together to create the reality of our tradition.
There is, amongst a large percentage of Progressive Jews in this country, a perception that Judaism can feel heavy, even cumbersome, in our lives. And if the only time a person experiences Judaism is during the High Holy Days, that is probably going to enforce that perspective. However, one of the things I love most about the fall holidays is the diversity of experiences we enjoy together. It is as if the creators of the tradition knew that we all need to take a deep breath after the gravity of Yom Kippur in favor of something more casual, comfortable, and congenial because that is the idea.
There is a line in the book of Ecclesiastes that says, “a season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time for slaying and a time for healing.” (Ecc. 3:1-3) We live out that value in the autumn when we allow ourselves to step back from the very structured worship of the High Holy Days, in favor of the often more accessible and more relatable experiences of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
At any given moment, there are a variety of ways to encounter Judaism. And while the sanctity of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are beautiful and rich, there are plenty of people who might not feel entirely nourished by those services. The good news is that we are never far away from the next holiday and that one is likely to involve a whole different kind of invitation for connection. There is a flavor of Judaism that is right for everyone, and if you need help finding yours, there are a lot of people and places that would be happy to help you find the right one.
Austin Zoot is the Rabbi Educator at the Valley Temple in Wyoming, Ohio.
