Kol Nidre

American  

[kawl nee-drey, kohl nid-ruh, -rey] / kɔl niˈdreɪ, ˈkoʊl ˈnɪd rə, -reɪ /

noun

Judaism.

1. a liturgical prayer for recitation at the beginning of the service on the eve of Yom Kippur asking that all unfulfilled vows to God be nullified and all transgressions forgiven.

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Kol Nidre British  

/ kɔl niːˈdre, kɔːl ˈnɪdreɪ /

noun

1. the evening service with which Yom Kippur begins

2. the opening prayer of that service, declaring null in advance any purely religious vows one may come to make in the coming year

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Etymology

Origin of Kol Nidre

< Aramaic kōl all + nidhrē vows, promises

Example Sentences

During a Kol Nidre service in Oakland, California, I crowded into a rented space-turned-synagogue with nearly 1,000 other attendees.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2023

Rabbi Lawrence Dermer and his wife, Robin, decided not to hold a Kol Nidre service Tuesday night at their synagogue, Shalom Life Center, out of concerns about the safety of their congregants.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2022

Across from Zuccotti Park, activists held Kol Nidre — the annual Yom Kippur service in which Jews are relieved from promises they make to God.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2021

We thought Hank Greenberg was part of Kol Nidre service.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2019

It was impossible in Russia, Munich, even Berlin, because it was distinctly Jewish in theme—as Jewish as the Kol Nidre, and as somber.

From Fanny Herself by Ferber, Edna