Yom Kippur begins at sundown Friday with services in Hollywood, Beverly Hills and other locations in Los Angeles at a time of elevated tensions in the Middle East.
Rabbi David Baron said security measures are in place for Friday night's services in the Saban Theatre at the Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills. Hundreds are expected at the services.
"German shepherd sweep of the building prior to the services, the armed security that we have here both interior and exterior, so the building is constantly watched," Rabbi Baron said. "We're under 24-7 surveillance with an extensive network of cameras."
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Speakers will include Oz Davidian, a farmer from southern Israel who drove white pickup to the Nova Music Festival during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, then carried people to safety in a series of rescues during the gunfire. Other speakers will discuss first-hand experiences in Israel, the war in Gaza and antisemitism on college campuses.
"You know when you've lost people and when you you're under a time of duress," Rabbi Barson said. "You look to others to support you and lift you up in those times. Comfort is best found when people come together."
Baron said when he speaks at the services his main themes will be friendship and heroism, such as that displayed by Davidian.
"It's a very tough year because we've still got over 100 hostages still being held in small confined spaces in tunnels in Gaza ," Baron said. "And, among them, are Americans, as well. And, our hearts go out to those families.
"A lot of us here in Los Angeles have friends and families who have young men and women in the Israeli Defense Forces. We're thinking about them and praying for them, as well."
While most congregations require membership and tickets for High Holy Days services, there are organizations that will conduct free services in Southern California.
A Kol Nidre service will be conducted at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Laugh Factory Hollywood, a morning service at 11 a.m. Saturday and a Neilah service at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Lox, cream cheese and bagels will be provided following the Neilah service to break the fast. People planning to attend are advised to arrive 15-20 minutes early to guarantee a seat. The services will be streamed on the club's YouTube page. This will be the 45th consecutive year The Laugh Factory has conducted free High Holy Days services.
The JEM Community Center in Beverly Hills will host a Yom Kippur Eve service at 6:30 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, a traditional service will be at 10 a.m., a Yizkor memorial service at approximately 1 p.m., an afternoon service at 4:45 p.m. and a concluding service at 5:30 p.m. Registration can be made here. Additional information is available by calling 310-772-0000.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that all appropriate security measures were being taken.
"The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is closely monitoring the Jewish High Holy Days for any potential threats,'' the sheriff's department said in a statement Friday. "We are committed to ensuring the safety of our diverse communities and encourage everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity, especially during this holy time."
About Yom Kippur
According to Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is the day Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of commandment tablets -- he had smashed the first -- and announced God's pardon to the people for worshipping a golden calf.
Observant Jews believe that God inscribes the names of the righteous in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and seals the book on Yom Kippur, 10 days later. For that reason, the traditional greeting among Jews on Yom Kippur is Gemar Chatima Tova, which means "good final sealing" and conveys the wish: "May your name be sealed in the book of life."
Yom Kippur services begin with the Kol Nidre, an ancient prayer that literally means "all vows" or "all promises." The last service of the day ends with the sounding of a ram's horn called a shofar.
"It's a 25-hour period of fasting, prayer and looking within," Baron said. "And, most of all, atonement. Healing, forgiveness. Those are the themes… as well as remembering people you've lost."
Yom Kippur concludes at sundown Saturday, ending the 10-day period on the Jewish calendar known as Days of Teshuvah, which is variously translated as repentance, return and change, and the Days of Awe. Many Jews fast on Yom Kippur and spend much of the time in synagogues.
"On the holiest day for our people, we recite one of our holiest prayers, Yizkor, a ritual that happens only three other times throughout the entire year," Rabbi Noah Farkas, President & CEO Jewish Federation Los Angeles, told City News Service. "Yizkor is a public commemoration of those who have passed. This year, Yizkor will take on a deeper meaning because of the pain of the past year. Honoring the memory of those we have lost is an act of lovingkindness, one that has the power to reconnect us to our pure selves."
