In this Book
- The Days Between: Blessings, Poems, and Directions of the Heart for the Jewish High Holiday Season
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: Brandeis University Press
summary
The Jewish High Holidays—the ten days beginning with the New Year Festival of Rosh Hashanah and culminating with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement—constitute the most sacred period of the Jewish year. During this season, religious as well as nonaffiliated Jews attend synagogue services in unparalleled numbers. Yet much of what they find there can be unwelcoming in its patriarchal imagery, leaving many worshipers unsatisfied. For those seeking to connect more deeply with their Judaism, and for all readers in search of a contemplative approach to the themes of the fall season, poet and scholar Marcia Falk re-creates the holidays’ key prayers and rituals from an inclusive perspective. Among the offerings in The Days Between are Hebrew and English blessings for festive meals, prayers for synagogue services, and poems and meditations for quiet reflection. Emphasizing introspection as well as relationship to others, Falk evokes her vision of the High Holidays as “ten days of striving to keep the heart open to change.” Accessible and welcoming to modern readers, The Days Between is steeped in traditional sources and grounded in liturgical and biblical scholarship. It will serve as a meaningful alternative or supplement to the traditional liturgy for individuals, families, synagogues, and communities small and large—that is, for all who seek fresh meaning in the High Holidays.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Introduction: The Days Between
- pp. xix-xxvi
- Part One. Rosh Hashanah
- pp. 1-2
- Approaching the Gates: Festive Meal for Rosh Hashanah Eve
- Blessing of Renewal
- pp. 6-7
- Blessing the Children
- pp. 8-9
- Fruit of the Vine
- pp. 10-11
- Fruit of the Tree: Apples and Honey
- pp. 12-13
- Fruits of the Earth
- pp. 14-15
- Washing the Hands
- pp. 16-17
- Blessing before the Meal
- pp. 18-19
- Blessing after the Meal
- pp. 20-22
- Opening the Heart
- Opening the Heart
- pp. 24-25
- Shofarot: Calls
- pp. 38-39
- Zikhronot: Recalling
- pp. 40-41
- Malkhuyot: Callings
- pp. 42-45
- May It Be So
- pp. 46-50
- We Cast into the Depths of the Sea (Tashlikh Ritual)
- Introduction
- pp. 52-53
- Casting Away
- pp. 54-55
- Facing the Sea
- pp. 56-57
- The Tree Sings to the River
- pp. 60-61
- From Today Is Forever
- pp. 62-64
- Two | Window, Bird, Sky: Daily Psalms and Directions of the Heart
- Introduction
- p. 66
- Giving Birth
- p. 71
- Morning Minyan
- p. 78
- Open Wings
- p. 82
- Open Questions
- p. 83
- What Do You Hear?
- p. 84
- What Do You Have?
- p. 86
- Part Three. Yom Kippur
- pp. 89-90
- Gathering In: Yom Kippur Eve
- Washing the Hands
- pp. 92-93
- Blessing before the Meal
- pp. 94-95
- Blessing after the Meal
- pp. 96-97
- Blessing of Renewal
- pp. 100-101
- Blessing the Children
- pp. 102-104
- Turning the Heart
- Tallit: Prayer Shawl
- pp. 106-107
- Introduction to Kol Nidrey: All Vows
- pp. 108-109
- Kol Nidrey: All Vows
- pp. 110-111
- Turning the Heart
- pp. 112-113
- Confession
- pp. 114-115
- Remembering the Lives (Yizkor Service)
- Introduction
- pp. 120-121
- Passageways of Grieving
- pp. 124-127
- Before and After
- pp. 128-129
- Grief’s House
- pp. 130-131
- Birds in a Dying Birch
- pp. 132-133
- Another View
- pp. 136-137
- You Do Not Belong to You
- pp. 140-141
- Beneath Shekhinah’s Wings
- pp. 142-143
- Kaddish: Beauty of the World
- pp. 144-146
- N’ilah: Closing of the Gates
- Closing Hour
- pp. 148-149
- The Great Call
- pp. 150-152
- From End to Beginning
- Breaking the Fast
- pp. 154-155
- Coda: Open Gate
- pp. 156-158
- Four | Entering the Gates
- Service for the High Holidays
- pp. 160-161
- Tallit: Prayer Shawl
- pp. 162-163
- Birthday of the World
- p. 164
- Giving Birth
- p. 165
- Opening the Heart
- pp. 166-167
- Shofarot: Calls
- pp. 176-177
- Zikhronot: Recalling
- pp. 178-179
- Malkhuyot: Callings
- pp. 180-183
- What Do You Have?
- p. 184
- Turning the Heart
- pp. 186-187
- Confession
- pp. 188-189
- Passageways of Grieving
- pp. 192-195
- Beneath Shekhinah’s Wings
- pp. 196-197
- May It Be So
- pp. 198-201
- Kaddish: Beauty of the World
- pp. 202-204
- Five | Re-visioning Un’taneh Tókef K’dushat Hayom
- The View from Within
- pp. 210-220
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 221-222
Additional Information
ISBN
9781611686067
Related ISBN(s)
9781611686050
MARC Record
OCLC
885033094
Pages
222
Launched on MUSE
2014-08-07
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2014