The Yom Kippur Take-Away Project

If one were to promote a year-long commitment to providing some daily Jewish educational and spiritual content to people’s lives, an opportune time to take upon one’s self this resolution is at the conclusion of the Yom Kippur service. This project would create a home-study book with a designated 5-minute-a-day reading for each day of the following year. It would be expected that people would take home these books from the Yom Kippur service and that Jews from all over (the city or world) and from whatever denomination would study from these books. Such an effort would also promote Jewish unity in the sense that everyone is on the same page every day such as Daf Yomi (the Page A Day of Talmud program) does. If written well, the book will educate and stimulate both the unaffiliated as well as the observant-from-birth by building the day’s lesson with basic foundation on a focused topic and quickly taking off to uncharted territory.

The cost of producing copies of these books (roughly $5-7 each at 350 pages at 1.5 to 2 cents per page photocopied) could be borne by the synagogue or by the local Jewish federation. The cost of coordinating the development of the book is miniscule and can be done via volunteers or grant from a philanthropic source. The material (along with links to other sources for continued study) would be available for print and download from a website which, if it attracts hits, can affiliate with profit-seeking internet entities.

The cheapest method of distribution is to photocopy sets with 3 hole punch either to include in a 3-ring binder attached or in one that the person obtains on his/her own. Each day’s reading would fill two sides of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet with pages color coded either by day of the week or by month. 

Content would follow 7 curriculum tracks, according to the day of the week. Each day’s material must be self-contained and be readable by someone who knows no Hebrew and knows nothing about the religion. It should not be assumed that someone is gaining cumulative knowledge but rather might pick up the program at any time of the year. Suggested tracks: (1) Bible: Text is excerpted and commentaries are provided. Some sort of discussion applying the bible to either later history, morality or contemporary idea. Could relate to the portion of the week read publicly. (2) Jewish Concept: A concept is explained, traced from its textual source through its development and contemporary application. This can be Law oriented or anything such as the Red Heiffer, Circumcision and Chanukah.  (3) Oral Law: Mishna or Talmud is excerpted and discussed, either as an original concept or drawing on Biblical sources. (4) Jewish History: Some aspect of either Old Testament or later history is recounted and discussed. (5) Philosophy and Morality: An idea is put forth. Halachic (legal) and other sources are drawn on to flesh out approaches. This is more historical study of various textual than ethics driven (ie: Responsa, Hassidism,  Mussar). (6) Ethics: An ethical dilemma is posed and various sources are quoted and discussed to provide grist for discussion. (7) Prayer and Ritual — text of a prayer or content of a ritual is traced to its sources and explained.

The idea should not be to try and teach everything about everything but to delve into a specific point for about 500 words and to stimulate thought and reference to other source material. The beauty of this approach is that it can be replicated each year into eternity with the promise of always being new and interesting.

Each day’s reading should end with some questions for discussion purposes and perhaps a short squib of inspirational thought from, for example, Ethics of our Fathers. The paper can also include a short bibliography and/or reminder of the website address to obtain links to other sources.

There is an intentional shying away from subject areas that are controversial such as application of Halachic interpretations to contemporary issues and situations because it is clear that to cover such areas would require either the debate inside the book of competing religious ideologies or the boycott of the book by offended sectors of the community. Editing and writing should be done by teams of religiously educated people from various sectors of the community working collaboratively to standardize the look and feel of the entire booklet and to ensure that the contents are acceptable to a wide audience. It is a higher priority that the daily lessons will stick to the facts and sources rather than attempt to present a view of the material toward directing the reader to a particular conclusion. This will ensure the highest rate of acceptance of the book.

Tie-ins to the Internet and contests such as scratch-off lotteries on the first day of each Jewish month will create good commercial opportunities as well as begin to orient many people around dates on the Jewish calendar.

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