If you’ve spent even a little time on JewBelong, you know we’re not synagogue pushers. You do you. But while we understand that synagogue isn’t for everyone, Judaism is at its core, a communal religion. So even though you’re dealing with yourself and God on Yom Kippur, it’s hard to get the most out of the holiday by yourself. 

For instance, staying home from work and catching up on your emails while not eating all day is only going to get you so far. When it comes to Yom Kippur, there is a lot to be said for the act of communal prayer, even if you don’t believe in God. It’s hard not to feel the energy that’s created by a room full of people who are also working on forgiveness and thinking about the kinds of people they want to be. And, many times, rabbis bring their A-game. Most of them have been working on their sermons for a long time and usually come up with some thought-provoking stuff. If going to a synagogue just isn’t your thing or you can’t get to one, there are plenty of synagogues who stream their services.

• Yom Kippur services start with Kol Nidre, which means all vows in Aramaic. The basic idea is that the Kol Nidre prayer cancels any oaths that we made directly with God the prior year so that we can start over. For instance, if you made an oath to stop losing your temper all the time, and then you didn’t, you annul that oath so that you aren’t starting the new year with that same promise in place. Think of Kol Nidre as an important part of starting your new year with a clean slate. It doesn’t annul oaths with other people though. You need to deal with that stuff person-to-person.
• You may see people wearing white. It’s to symbolize purity and renewal, and a physical way to feel connected to the holiday. Another reason is that Jews are traditionally buried wrapped in a white tallit so wearing white is said to remind us of our mortality. Honestly, it also cuts down the worry of what to wear to synagogue. Some synagogues can look a bit like a fashion show and if you decide to wear white on Yom Kippur, you can pretty much wear whatever you want.
• The shofar! The end of Yom Kippur is one of the most dramatic moments of all Jewish ritual. The holiday ends with one loooong blast from the shofar which makes a loud, high-pitched sound, sort of like a bugle. It’s meant to be a little jolting, and it is. It will wake you up and help you feel like you are part of something deep, historical and far bigger than yourself. You’ll need to stay until the end of the service to experience it, but it is worth it.