This is a page with the confessional prayer, Vidui, that is recited on Yom Kippur. The creases on the page indicate that the page had been folded into four; it might have been kept inside a mahzor (High Holy Days prayer book). The page has the Hebrew text on the right and a Ladino translation on the left. Ladino is the Judeo-Spanish language that is spoken by Jews of Spanish descent. The Vidui prayer is written as an alphabetical acrostic poem with a single word describing a sin that was committed by the community for each letter of the alphabet. The original words of the poem are written in bold letters. Between each word in bold are examples of how that particular sin might have been committed. In order to differentiate between the different types of text, the examples are written in Rashi script while the actual words of the poem are written in standard Hebrew script. While it is not known where this page was printed, a handwritten note on the top of the page reads “Izmir 5635” which might indicate that it was printed in Izmir in Turkey in 1874.
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Vidui – The confessional prayer, Vidui, is a central component of the Yom Kippur service. It describes the sins committed by both individuals and the community at large, thus stressing that even though we don’t all individually commit each sin, as a community we are responsible for all who commit sins. When the Vidui is recited, it is customary to gently hit one’s chest with a fist for each sin mentioned.
Ladino – Ladino is the Judeo-Spanish language that is spoken by Jews of Spanish descent. The basis of the language is pre-sixteenth-century Spanish with Hebrew influences. As Jews moved to other Mediterranean countries after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, languages such as Turkish, Arabic, and French began to influence Ladino. Today there are about 160,000 Ladino speakers around the world.
Yom Kippur – Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. The date of Yom Kippur is 10 Tishrei, and it marks the end of the ten-day period beginning with Rosh Hashanah which is called the High Holy Days and the Ten Days of Repentance. According to tradition, God evaluates each person’s life and writes their name in either the Book of Life or the Book of Death during the Ten Days of Repentance; on Yom Kippur, the books are sealed. While reflection and prayer take place throughout the ten days, Yom Kippur is the most solemn day, and it is traditional to pray, fast, and refrain from bathing and wearing leather shoes. It is also traditional to give tzedakah (charity), during this time period. Another unusual custom is wearing a tallit for all of the prayers, when it is usually only worn during the day, and in some communities men wear a special white robe named a kittel. There are five services on Yom Kippur, beginning with the Kol Nidrei prayer and the Maariv service in the evening. Prayers are resumed the following day with Shacharit (morning service) and the Musaf (additional service) which includes a description of the special ceremonies that took place in the Temple on Yom Kippur. Later in the day is the Mincha service, during which the Book of Jonah is read, and the day comes to close with the Neilah service, considered to be the final opportunity to ask God to be written in the Book of Life, which ends with the congregation saying the Shema and the blowing of the shofar.
