OP-ED: This Yom Kippur…

By YUVAL DAVID

(JNS.org) – Yom Kippur is my favorite holiday. I am often surprised when others are surprised by my admitting that. Yom Kippur reflects concepts I think of throughout the year, and truly daily—the holiday inspires deepening and improving spirituality, philosophical and reflective mindfulness. And, that speaks to me.

This Yom Kippur is different than all others in my lifetime.

The blowing of the shofar as Jews arrive for Selichot penitential prayers at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem two days before Yom Kippur, Oct. 9, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

What the Jewish people are facing now is unlike anything I have faced as a Jew. Those of us who are Jewish—based on our religion, culture, ethnicity, nationality or peoplehood—have felt the massive trauma, yet we are also prepared for this moment with the “here we go again” mindset of understanding Jewish existence and history not repeating but resonating today. On Yom Kippur, we find ourselves standing at the edge of a precipice, teetering between reflection and action, between what has been and what could be.

The holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur is a day of atonement but also a day of clarity—a chance to confront the truths we have long ignored, the actions we have delayed, and the moral imperative to move forward with strength and purpose.

This Yom Kippur comes not just after a year of personal trials or communal challenges but after a year in which we, as a people, have been tested to our core. The relentless assault on Jewish identity, the rampant rise of antisemitism, the enduring pain of war, and the continuing trauma of global unrest have left us raw and exposed. Hostages remain in torturous captivity. Soldiers fall and are injured in battle defending Israel and all of us against terror. Wounded survivors are healing or trying to. Grieving loved ones of victims who were murdered and soldiers who fell in combat are mourning. We are experiencing a collective trauma, pain, anxiety, stress, depression and exhaustion. And yet, it is in this vulnerability that we find an opportunity to renew ourselves, to recommit to the values that have sustained us for millennia. Because we are also experiencing the collective hopefulness, strength, determination, resilience, strength and desire for a better tomorrow.

In the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we engage in the practice of cheshbon hanefesh—an “accounting of the soul.” It is a sacred exercise—one that asks us to look deeply into ourselves, to uncover where we have faltered and to seek forgiveness not only from others but from ourselves. This is not merely a ritual of self-flagellation, nor a fleeting moment of contrition. It is a call to action—a reminder that true repentance, reflection, and improvement come not just from words, but from deeds. Being a Jew is being an activist.

On this Yom Kippur, I find myself feeling short-term pessimistic and long-term optimistic. I have no clue what the future holds. I know we will survive—but at what cost? What will the future hold for the existence of the Jewish people and Israel? How will we respond to the crises that surround us, to the hate that threatens to consume us, to the divisions that weaken us from within?

We are in the midst of a battle for our very survival—not just as Jews but as human beings who believe in justice, dignity and the sanctity of life. The forces of hatred, bigotry and violence are real, and they are relentless. But so are we.

Throughout our history, we have been taught to rise, to rebuild and to reclaim our destiny even in the face of unimaginable adversity. Yom Kippur is a time to remember that survival is not enough. We are called upon to do more—to repair the world, to uplift the downtrodden, to fight for the values we hold dear. We are called to remember that we do not stand alone in this fight. Our history, our faith, our community—all of it binds us to a greater purpose.

And yet, the work of renewal is not only external. As much as Yom Kippur is about addressing the world’s ills, it is also about addressing the brokenness within ourselves. We cannot hope to change the world if we are unwilling to change ourselves. We must confront our own biases, our own complacency, and our own failures. Tikkun olam, tikkun hanefesh, tikkun haguf (the repairing of the world, the soul and the body), along with Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof (“Justice, Justice you must pursue”), are concepts that focus what we as individuals can do for ourselves, our community, our people, our allies and others.

This Yom Kippur, as we engage in introspection and seek atonement, must also commit to action. We must rise from our mindfulness and spirituality with a renewed sense of purpose, with a fierce determination to protect our people and to stand for the values of equality, freedom and justice.

Yom Kippur is not just a day of judgment; it is a day of opportunity. We are given the chance to ensure our past does not get changed by those who spread the hateful disinformation and misinformation campaigns of revisionist history and erasure. We are integral in nourishing and maintaining our future. We do so by reclaiming our narrative, peoplehood, pride and strength. As individuals, as a community, as a people, we must walk this path together, guided by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to each other and the world around us.

The choice is ours. We can retreat into fear and isolation, or we can step forward with courage and hope. We can allow the hatred around us to harden our hearts, or we can transform it into fuel for change. We can let the weight trauma, grief, anxiety and victimhood paralyze us, or we can rise—as we always have—from the ashes of despair to be survivors with determined resilience.

This Yom Kippur, and every day forward, choose to rise. Choose action. Choose life. We are the heroes of our people. Am Israel Chai!

Beyond his work as an actor, journalist and social-media influencer, Yuval David is a Jewish activist and adviser. He travels across North America and Israel as a speaker and workshop leader for Jewish and ally communities. He recently returned to Washington, D.C., after a speaking tour and meeting with Oct. 7 survivors, wounded soldiers, families of those killed and international political leaders.