That's how the rabbi described the 4000 people gathered for Kol Nidre services at the Javitz Center last night. She welcomed us all — gay, transgender, straight, Jewish, and not Jewish. I hadn't been to CBST services in years, but their open door policy, and truly welcoming attitude, brought me back this year. I was lucky enough to touch base with Joe & Elliot, friends from my days doing the AIDS rides, and joined them for services. The rabbi went on to welcome even those who don't believe in God — she said that her God was okay with that. Works for me. The only people she wasn't sure she'd welcome, she joked, were those who believed in creationism rather than evolution. She offered to hook them up with her marine biologist neice for a dialogue.
Yom Kippur is a holiday that involves atoning for your sins of the past year. We all have them. Reading the traditional list of sins, one that struck me had to do with sinning by being resistant to change (forgive me, I'm fasting, so my brain is at half-mast today). It takes me a long time to change and often this is detrimental to me. Another thing about the service that struck me was that the congregation had submitted their own list of sins for which we collectively atoned — they included taking one's body for granted, having unprotected sex, drinking too much alcohol, and my personal favorite, being too lazy to recycle. Together with 4000 voices, we atoned for each other.
As you may know, I'm not particularly religious, but I'm glad I went to Kol Nidre last night. Today, in addition to thinking about how hungry I am, I'm thinking about the loved ones I've lost, and the changes I want to make in my life for the new year. I'll be breaking the fast at the New York Wine and Food Festival tonight, although I might sneak in a bagel and lox before that.