#yomkippur

I've become cynical about the theology surrounding atoning for sins by afflicting oneself and praying communally for forgiveness, i.e., about #YomKippur, which is today. I've come to believe more and more that, as Karl Marx said, religion is the opium of the masses. I think Yom Kippur is performative for most people. I don't think observing it leads most people to change for the better; I think it just makes them feel better about continuing to behave the same way. #religion #Judaism 1/?

Tonight Yom Kippur begins, the most sombre moment of the Jewish calendar. It’s a time of atonement - a time to grieve those who have been lost, a time to acknowledge and take responsibility for harms we have caused, individually and collectively. For Jewish people, the personal has always been political and the political always personal. This year I'm reflecting on the fact that we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name. There are many other fronts where I have to do the work of repair. But nothing on this scale. #yomkippur #palestine