What To Wear To A Reform Rosh Hashanah Service

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The Jewish High Holidays—Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)—are amidst the nigh sacred days of the year. These are days of celebration, self-reflection and repentance.

When attending synagogue on these Loftier Holy days, it is important to wearing apparel comfortably and respectfully. Here'south what to clothing.

Rosh Hashanah

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For Rosh Hashanah attire, get with a nice, stylish daytime outfit. Dressy, as if y'all were going to a daytime wedding, but less formal than an evening outcome.

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For women, shoulders should ever be covered. Overnice pants or skirts are appropriate, withal skirt hemlines should terminate just right in a higher place the knee or lower. Simple and tasteful makeup and jewelry is best. For men, cull a collared shirt and tie. A jacket is optional, only nice.

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Habiliment comfy shoes. Synagogue services require frequent rising and standing for periods of time.

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Men don a small-scale round skullcap, otherwise known as a kippah or yarmulke, to testify respect to God. Some Jewish women may cull to embrace their head with a scarf, hat or wig subsequently they are married. However for most women, this is optional.

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If you lot are Jewish and older than xiii (pregnant you have come of age in the eyes of the religion), you tin cull to vesture a prayer shawl or tallit. Typically worn by males, a prayer shawl is fabricated with ritually tied knots known equally tzitzit at the four corners and a specific blessing printed on the collar. About synagogues have extra prayer shawls on a rack at the entrance that you can borrow these during services.

Yom Kippur

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For Yom Kippur, start with a similarly modest and elegant outfit to the one you chose for Rosh Hashanah. Again, women should comprehend their shoulders and show only a piffling bit of skin above the genu. Men at well-nigh synagogues clothing ties and jackets.

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Choose not-leather shoes. Wearing leather is amidst ane of the five prohibitions (along with eating and drinking) on Yom Kippur. Many people wear relatively casual shoes such as canvas sneakers to follow this tradition. Any synthetic, non-leather shoe is ideal.

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It'due south customary to wear white (or a light color)—a tradition that symbolizes purity on Yom Kippur. The symbolism stems from the post-obit poesy in Isaiah (1:18): "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." The rabbi and cantor will ordinarily wear kittels, or ritual white robes. Information technology's rare for congregants to wearable these, so white or light wearable fulfills the same purpose.

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Similar to Rosh Hashanah, clothing a head covering (required for men, optional for women) and a four-cornered prayer shawl, or tallit, if you choose.