What Are the High Holy Days?
If the year is a train, the High Holidays (AKA High Holy Days) are its engine. A delicate blend of joy and solemnity, feasting and fasting, prayer and inspiration make up the spiritually charged head of the Jewish year.
The High Holiday season begins during the month of Elul, when the shofar is sounded every weekday morning, a clarion call to return to G‑d in advance of the sacred days that lay ahead.
The two-day holiday of Rosh Hashanah is the head of the Jewish year, the time when G‑d reinvests Himself in creation as we crown Him king of the universe through prayer, shofar blasts, and celebration.
Rosh Hashanah 2023 begins before sundown on Friday, Sept. 15, and ends after nightfall on Sunday, September 17. Full Rosh Hashanah Calendar
A week later, the High Holidays reach their crescendo with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Like angels, we neither eat nor drink for 25 hours. Dressed in white, we pray in the synagogue—united as one people, children of One Father.
Yom Kippur 2023 begins before sundown on Sunday, September 24, and ends after nightfall on Monday, September 25. Full Yom Kippur Schedule
But it does not end there. The otherworldliness of the High Holidays is then channeled into the festive holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which bring the annual fall holiday season to a most joyous conclusion.
Sukkot and Simchat Torah at the Jewish Community of Cyprus
Sukkot and Simchat Torah are two major Jewish holidays that are celebrated in the fall season. These holidays are not only an opportunity to connect with family and friends, but they also present an opportunity to give back to the community. One of the most important ways to give back during these holidays is through charitable donations.
The Jewish Community of Cyprus is a non-profit organization that provides a wide range of services to the Jewish community in Cyprus. This includes educational programs, religious services, and social events. The organization is funded entirely through donations, which makes it crucial for members of the community to give generously during Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
There are many reasons why donating during these holidays is so important. For one, it is a way to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah, which is the Jewish obligation to give to those in need. By giving to the JCC, individuals can help support our mission of providing important services to the community.
Additionally, donating during Sukkot and Simchat Torah can help individuals feel more connected to their faith and community. It is a way to show solidarity with others who share similar values and beliefs. This can help foster a sense of belonging and help individuals feel more invested in the community as a whole.
Overall, donating during Sukkot and Simchat Torah is an important way to give back to the community and fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah. By supporting us, individuals can help ensure that important services and programs continue to be available to the Jewish community in Cyprus.
You can donate by clicking here, or using one of the options below.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous Sukkot filled with blessings, happiness, and unity.
Transfers and other donation options:
In Europe:
Bank of Cyprus
NAME: Jewish Community Cyprus
BANK: Bank of Cyprus
Grigori Afxentiou Branch – No. 0556
Account #: 357019355859
IBAN CY 24002001950000357019355859
Swift BCYPCY2N
Hellenic Bank
Branch - Phaneromenis 373
Account #: 373-01-712350-01
IBAN: CY51 0050 0373 0003 7301 7123 5001
Swift: HEBACY2N
Account Name: JEWISH COMMUNITY OF CYPRUS
In USA:
Name: American Friends of JCC, INC.
Account Number: 483072813952
Routing Number: 021000322
SWIFT: BOFAY53N
Address: 665 Crown St. Brooklyn, NY 11213-5303
In Israel:
בנק דיסקונט
מס' חשבון: 12172687 סניף 153, קרית מלאכי
שם החשבון: "ידידי חב"ד קפריסין בישראל" (ע"ר
ביט 0559954800
Friends of Chabad of Cyprus in Israel
Bank Discount 11
Branch:153 Kiryat Malachi
Account #: 0012172687
Foreign currency Account #: 0120164207
IBAN: IL08 0111 5300 0012 0164 207
SWIFT Code IDBLILIT
The Custom of Kaparot
Some have the custom of performing the rite of kapparot [symbolic atonement] on the day preceding Yom Kippur; if it is not possible to do so then, the rite may be performed earlier.
The rite consists of taking a chicken in one's hand and reciting a prayer. A man takes a rooster; a woman takes a hen; a pregnant woman takes two fowls - a hen and a rooster. Optimally, the fowl should be white to symbolize purification from sin, as the verse (Isaiah 1:8) states: And if your sins be like scarlet, they shall become as white as snow. One should not, however, make an excessive effort to find a white fowl.
If a rooster or a hen is unavailable, one may substitute other fowl or animals; even a fish may be used for the rite. However, one should not use doves, since doves were brought as sacrificial offerings in the Temple, and this may give rise to the mistaken impression that the kapparot are a form of sacrifice.
The fowl [or other animal] used for kapparot is taken in the right hand and the appropriate text from the prayer book is recited. The bird is then passed over one's head three times and the appropriate text is recited.
The word kapparot [like kippur] means "atonement," and is used to refer to the chickens themselves, but one should not think that kapparot themselves serve as a source of atonement. Rather, they serve as a means to bring a person to the awareness that he might very well be deserving of death because of his sins and he will thereby be motivated to repent and ask G‑d for mercy.
The fowl is then slaughtered in accordance with halachic procedure.
It is customary to redeem the kapparot for money, which is then given to the poor; some give the fowls themselves to the poor. Others perform the entire rite only with money, reciting the prescribed verses and giving the money to charity.
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