Kol Nidrei - Annulling Our Victimhood
10/3/2025
Our beautiful Yom Kippur service yesterday was marred by the news from the UK that an Islamic terrorist rammed his car and stabbed a group of Jews entering a Manchester synagogue, murdering two and injuring three more.
My heart aches for the Jewish community in the UK, where I grew up, who now live with the horrible reality that people want to kill them for being Jewish. And my heart worries for Jews in America who may now live with the fear of the same.
But just as we must remain vigilant and increase our security precautions, we must equally increase in our Jewish pride, identity, and commitments.
We fall prey to terrorists not only by being the victims of their attacks. We also fall prey when our Jewish participation and engagement decrease as a result.
On Yom Kippur night, we welcomed the holiest day of the year with the Kol Nidrei prayer—a nullification of vows.
“All personal vows, obligations, oaths, and promises are hereby annulled and nullified.”
What is it about this legal proclamation that explains its power, its significance, and justifies it being the most recognizable Jewish prayer said on the holiest day of the year? After all, it is a technical announcement annulling our vows. Where is the spiritual power?
Perhaps on Kol Nidrei we are not only annulling our superficial vows but also tearing up the narratives—the “vows and oaths”—that we have absorbed about our Jewish identity throughout the year.
Due to our collective intergenerational trauma of the Holocaust, October 7, and millennia of antisemitism, our relationship with Judaism has too often taken a heavy toll.
Our Jewish identity has been stained with fear, even victimhood. Perhaps we hesitate to wear Jewish symbols openly. Or maybe we hesitate to affix a mezuzah to our front door, bringing the fear of antisemitism into our homes and cowering to Jew-hatred.
On Yom Kippur, as we begin the new year, we proudly declare:
“Kol Nidrei—I hereby annul and nullify any and all narratives and impressions that turn me into a victim, that instill fear in me, that reduce my Jewish pride.”
Next week, we welcome the joyous holiday of Sukkot. We sit in temporary huts surrounded by G-d’s warm embrace and protection, instilling us with faith, meaning, and purpose. And we are reminded that ultimately, no matter how frightening the world may seem, it is and always will be—as the Yiddish saying goes—“Gut tzu zein a Yid” (Good to be a Jew). Not just good, but great!
So if you didn’t do it on Yom Kippur, or if you did it, but it felt meaningless and superficial, let’s do it together right here and now:
Kol Nidrei—I hereby annul and nullify, tear up and shred, all and any feelings of weakness and intimidation. And I promise that this year I will be prouder of my Jewish identity, more committed to Jewish life, and more engaged in Jewish community.