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Haunting, age-old melody allows Jews
to get in touch with their feelings about God.

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This sketch of Jacob Kramers famous painting, "The Day of Atonement," shows men wrapped in tallitot (prayer shawls) that reach
down to their feet. Their facial features consist of stripes resembling those on their prayer shawls. That signifies the men are so involved
in prayer, their shawls have become part of them. The 1919 painting is done in pencil, brush and ink.

SHELLI DORFMAN
StaffWriter
Staff

s Jews throughout the
world solemnly enter
synagogues to hear Kol
Nidre Sunday night,
they know the person chanting
the prayer has geared up for the
emotionally packed, awesome
responsibility of speaking to God
on their behalf.
Preparation for the position of
shaliach tzibur, messenger of the
congregation, "is quite difficult,
says Cantor Lori Corrsin of
Temple Israel. "Knowing that the

whole room is with you, focused
on what you are singing, all pray-
ing to God together — it's a real-
ly high moment. God can hear it
— I'm positive of that."
Cantor Samuel Greenbaum of
Congregation Beth Shalom
rehearses the prayer all summer.
"Even though the Kol Nidre
melody is always the same, I will
be praying on behalf of the con-
gregation, which is a heavy
responsibility."
Also called "All Vows," Kol
Nidre heralds the beginning of
Yom Kippur.
Technically, it is a legal decla-

same things in the future.
ration making null and void all
Written by an unknown
oaths and promises made heed-
author, Kol Nidre was used as
lessly during the past year as well
early as the Eighth century to
as those to be made during the
coming year.
Rabbi Steven
al Era a. oN
a a
Weil of Young
kek
A a
Israel of Oak
11Z:
Park describes
a :0
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the recitation as
an undoing of
It has been around for centuries but the
the past, "with a
Kol Nidre, heralding Yom Kippur, is still
true sense of
))
remorse, as
one of the most alluring prayers.
well as making a
commitment
not to do the

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9/17
1999