Pronunciations

Kol Nidre (kol NEE-dray) listen

Definitions

  • n. An Aramaic prayer recited in synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur.

  • n. The first service of Yom Kippur, occuring after sundown on the evening before Yom Kippur.

Example Sentences

  • "Every time I hear Kol Nidrey, I have to cry." (Glinert)

  • "What synagogue are you going to for Kol Nidre?"

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Aramaic

Etymology

  • A כל נדרי 'all vows'

    • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      Kol Nidrei, Kol Nidrey

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