HIGH HOLY DAYS
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High Holidays
Continued from preceding page
Rabbis have long debated
the merits of Kol Nidre, feel-
ing its intent can be
misunderstood by Jew and
non-Jew alike.
Does Kol Niche allow us to
blithely make promises we
don't intend to keep? Do the
words mean Jews can't be
trusted? How can we vow
"unwittingly," and how can
Kol Nidre cancel vows made
to this one but not to that
one? There are rabbinic ex-
planations for all this, of
course, but maybe we should
just follow the advice of the
Talmud and not vow at all.
• "Al Chet" ("For the
Sins") is one of the most im-
portant prayers of Yom
Kippur. Interestingly
enough, the word "chet"
doesn't mean sin, but "to
miss the mark." In other
words, we're not wicked,
we're just a bit off-target.
Michael Strassfield, in his
Guide to the Jewish Holi-
days, suggests we use a do-it-
yourself "Al Chet" for a
change, instead of the stan-
dard "sin-list" found in the
Machzor. Have family mem-
bers (or friends) take file
cards and write down how
they "missed the mark" this
past year. Anonymously.
One "miss" to a card. Then
shuffle them, pass them
around and take turns
reading the cards aloud —
maybe after you get back
from Kol Nidre services.
Hearing these real short-
comings ("I still smoke." "I
didn't spend enough time
with my kids." "I was
jealous of my friend's
success," etc.) can make the
"Al Chet" a personal and
powerful experience.
• Near the end of the
Ne'ilah (Closing) Service of
Yom Kippur, the words,
"Adonai Hu HaElohim"
("The Lord, He is God") are
repeated seven times. Tradi-
tion says the seven times
corresponds to the seven
heavens above which God
dwells.
• It's customary to start
building your Sukkah im-
mediately after you get
home from Yom Kippur ser-
vices. Just hammer in one
nail. It shows that our devo-
tion to God never stops —
that our observance of his
mitzvot is continuous. ❑
NEWS immi
Romanian Chief Pledges
To Fight Anti-Semitism
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Bucharest (JTA) —
Romanian Prime Minister
Petre Roman has given
assurances to an American
Jewish leader that he will
speak out against anti-
Semitism and racism, which
have been on the rise since
the overthrow of the
Ceausescu regime and the
birth of new freedoms.
Mr. Roman told Abraham
Foxman, national director of
the Anti- Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith, that
he is committed to strength-
ening democracy in
Romania and welcomes the
participation of the Jewish
community in drawing at-
tention to racist manifesta-
tions in order to tackle them.
Mr. Roman did, indeed,
speak out at an impromptu
news conference that he and
Mr. Foxman held Tuesday
after their hour-and-a-half
meeting, which was arrang-
ed:by and attended by Chief
Rabbi Moses Rosen.
Mr. Roman also assured
Mr. Foxman that new laws
offer prosecution and
punishment for incitement
to haixed.
"While they may not be
perfect, he sees no reason
why the Jewish community
should not utilize the legal
and judicial system to pro-
tect itself," said Mr. Fox-
man, who is the first Ameri-
can Jewish leader to visit
Romania since Communist
dictator Nicolae Ceausescu
was overthrown in
December.
The prime minister "also
suggested that the Jewish
community — maybe with
the help of ADL — be more
active." The two men agreed
to schedule a conference
within the next six months
on the subject of anti-
Semitism, with the par-
ticipation of some experts
from within and without
Romania.
Kindertransport
Plans Reunion
New York (JTA) — The
Kindertransport Association
is planning to hold a reunion
Nov. 9-11 at the Fallsview
Resort and Country Club in
upstate New York.
KTA consists of in-
dividuals who, as very young
Jewish children, fled the
Holocaust to England
without their parents. Close
to 2,500 of these children im-
migrated to North America.