
The Yom Kippur Surprise Of A Lifetime
The Landau brothers sat in synagogue and atoned while what they believed to be an unremarkable painting belonging to their grandparents was auctioned for over $1 million

‘Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins’ Is the True Story of Hanukkah
Bookworm: So what if the festival of lights has some magic?

Jews, the Smartest Stupid People on Earth
An amputated leg, a bitten-off penis, a 600-pound wrestler, and the great tonsil riot, among other examples of humanity’s glorious ineptitude, in ‘Bad Rabbi: And Other Strange But True Stories from the Yiddish Press’

Elie Wiesel’s Secret
A little-known Yiddish manuscript upends our idea of the secular saint of human suffering

This Yom Kippur, It’s Time to Repent for Your Social Media Sins
Seriously, stop doing this stuff

Breaking the Fast
As it gains popularity as a social event, the meal that ends Yom Kippur can sometimes eclipse the holiday itself—but ultimately, it reinforces our sense of community

I’m Sorry
Episode 106: Our third-annual Yom Kippur apology show, with clemency advocate Mark Osler, apology blogger Ari Kohen, and a personal story from podcaster Vanessa Zoltan

Jerry Lewis Did Kol Nidre in Clown-Face on Yom Kippur, May His Soul Find a Shining Piece of Paradise
Rokhl’s Golden City: The Jazz Singer, and a legendary klezmer drummer bubbe

Forget Koufax: My Son Will Play Football This Yom Kippur, And I’m Fine With That
You can be a proud Jew on the gridiron, not only in shul

Retiree Builds 8 1/2-Foot Statue of Sandy Koufax in His Front Yard
The Hall of Fame lefty, who famously sat on Yom Kippur during the 1965 World Series, had quite the impact on Robert Gaynor of Newton, Mass.

The Chosen Ones: An Interview With Chemda
The Queens-based podcaster, singer, and author on her love of sleepovers, the importance of women speaking their minds, and the illusion of tradition

How Yom Kippur Saved Me From the Trauma of a Notorious Nationals Collapse
The ‘Nats lost to the Giants in 18 innings during Yom Kippur in 2014. Thankfully, I was depleted from the holiday before it was time to suffer with the rest of D.C’s faithful.

Five Readings For Yom Kippur
Let Leonard Cohen, T.S. Eliot, and more, inspire some contemplation

The Year I Skipped Yom Kippur Services
After my best friend died of complications from HIV, I avoided synagogue and found sanctuary in my mother’s house instead. And that’s where I found a space to atone, and a path to move forward.

In Defense of Kapparot
After years of avoiding the jarring ritual, I’ve realized there’s no substitute to its terrible beauty

The Double Yizkor
What a son’s suicide—and his grandfather’s Holocaust experience—taught one family about life

Forgiveness Is Not a Gift You Give Yourself
The High Holidays are a time for apologizing. But when it comes to getting forgiveness in return, that’s up to the people you’ve wronged.

Meow to Apologize to Your Cat, via the Rambam
This Yom Kippur, consider the pawsome advice of Maimonides, whose take on saying sorry can be purrfectly applied to your pets

Dread, Prayer, Hope, and Forgiveness
Yom Kippur in Israel is a complicated yet often peaceful time. But the specter of violence is always felt.

Embracing Aristotle at Yom Kippur
When we recite Unetaneh Tokef at High Holiday services, we take a lesson from the ancient Greeks about what to do when life gives us lemons

Drake Is Playing Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Kol Nidre
What would Sandy Koufax do?

To Begin Again
When I found out I was pregnant, I had mixed feelings. The Jewish holidays helped me navigate the difficult emotional journey that followed.

After 70 Years, the United Nations Recognizes Yom Kippur as an Official Holiday
One of America’s most prominent anti-Israel activists claimed that recognizing the Jewish holiday would ‘increase global anti-Jewish sentiment’

My Dog Brought Me Back to Synagogue
When my dachshund Ginger died, I went to services to mourn—and it gave me a new appreciation for Judaism

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Yontif
In Israel, the specter of the Tishrei Holidays—from taking care of my kids to planning an errand to, well, anywhere—looms large

A Holy Commonality
This year, Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha—a day of fasting and prayer, and a day of feasting and celebration for Muslims, respectively—overlap

Thou Shalt Not: Yom Kippur and Sexual Assault
A new book about America’s rape culture provides some perspective on the High Holiday passage Leviticus 18, which is light on punishment for perpetrators
