Ne'ilah

In this Yom Kippur’s final service of Ne’ilah, we bring extra intensity to our prayers, connecting on a more intimate level as we feel the drama of the gates closing. Unpacking this, we invite you to learn from Lizzie Leiman Kraiem, David Litt, Rabbi Bronwen Mullin, and more.

Nizahker Venikatev

Nizakher Venikatev: A Reflective Guide for Ne’ilah

The very end of Yom Kippur finds us reciting key biblical verses affirming God’s sovereignty, as well as the Shema, followed by one last tekiah gedolah of the shofar. How has this moment resonated for you in the past: as a moment of rededication, of urgency, of groundedness, or of something else? How do you want to approach this point this year? Explore these questions and more in our reflective guide for Ne’ilah.

lizzie leiman kraiem

Lizzie Leiman Kraiem: Scaffolding at Neilah

Lizzie Leiman Kraiem directs the Jewish Life Program at the Charles H. Revson Foundation. She and her husband Ruben raised their children Renee and Leon at BJ.

David Litt

David Litt: The Gates are Closing

David Litt entered the White House as a speechwriter in 2011, and left in 2016 as a senior presidential speechwriter and special assistant to the president. In addition to writing remarks for President Barack Obama on a wide range of domestic policy issues, David served as the lead joke writer for several White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologues.

Bronwen Mullin

Rabbi Bronwen Mullin: What Really Happens at Ne’ilah

Bronwen Mullin is a playwright and composer and the rabbi of Congregation B’nai Jacob of Jersey City. Her experiences at B’nai Jeshurun taught Bronwen what true kavanah means—she is honored to be giving back to this community and to bring those lessons soulfully and joyfully to her community in Jersey City.