Shabbat shalom everyone!
Yom Kippur, considered the highest of Jewish holidays, starts this Sunday evening. The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance. This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the mistakes of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur – before the sealing of one’s fate in The Good Book. I have a feeling this negotiating period before the great judgment day may be one explanation for why there are so many Jewish lawyers….we have had centuries of practice!
I have been a long time fan of Leonard Cohen but confess that only recently have I discovered and appreciated his deep connection to his own Judaism and how it impacted his art. I thought I would share one of his songs that directly relates to Yom Kippur.
“Who by fire” is Leonard Cohen’s version of the Hebrew prayer “Unetanneh Tokef“, commonly chanted on Yom Kippur. The prayer is said to have been written by a Rabbi dying from his wounds after he was put to death for his unwillingness to convert. Cohen’s version was released in his 1974 album “New Skin for the Old Ceremony.” This is one of the main songs of the album and one of Cohen’s best known songs. The prayer Cohen heard as a child in the synagogue describes God reviewing the Book of Life and deciding the fate of every soul for the year to come – who will live, who will die and how. The line: “And who shall I say is calling?” can be understood as a break from faith in God. According to Cohen that element of doubt is what made the song into a personal prayer for him.
This live performance from London was recorded in 2013 and features a gorgeous intro guitar solo by Javier Mas. Enjoy! And for those of you fasting, may it be an easy fast with a delicious breaking.
And on a further cultural note, 🍿 the new “Golda” movie may be the best film to watch in preparation for Yom Kippur. Aside from taking place during the Yom Kippur war, it is definitely a tale of atonement, and according to critics, visually arresting.
All for now. Next week I will return to tradition and include a full smorgasbord of Jew news. Until then, let’s be careful out there.
Brad out.
Jew News Review 