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Tags:When considering this unique text, it’s hard to avoid pondering the implications of the date and time it was published. Less than a month after Yom Kippur 1937, the Nazi Henricus Haltehoff was appointed Burghermeister of Hannover. The next year would see the expulsion of 484 Jews of Polish origin and the destruction of the Hannover community synagogue during Kristallnacht. In 1939 the Jewish community of Hannover was 2,271. At the end of the war it was 66.
One of the most common reasons for the plethora of altered versions of Kol Nidre was the idea that it could be used as ammunition for antisemites. Up until the 20th century many Jewish communities in Europe were required to take the humiliating “Oath More Judaico” before testifying in court. But none of these altered forms of the text stopped the fascists from destroying this and innumerable other Jewish communities across the continent. Those who hate us will hate us whether we appeal to them or not. Our liturgy is ours, not theirs.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (German) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|---|
כׇּל נִדְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֵמָה נֹדְרִים לְךָ, מַלְכֵּנוּ, לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְעֵדוֹתֶיךָ וּלְבִלְתִי סוּר מִן הַמִּצְוָה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל, מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה, כֻּלָם יַעֲלוּ וְיָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּיעוּ וְיֵרָאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְרַחֲמִים, וְתֵן בִּלְבָבָם לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא וְלֹא יֵבוֹשׁוּ לְעוֹלָם׃ |
Alle Gelübde der Kinder Israels, durch welche sie Dir, unserm Könige, gelobn, die Worte Deiner Lehre und Deiner Zeugnisse zu befolgen und von Deinen Geboten weder rechts noch links abzuweichen, von diesem Versöhnungstage an bis zum nächsten uns zum Heile kommenden: Mögen sie alle zu Dir emporsteigen und von Dir in Gnaden aufgenommen werden. Sende Du ihnen ins Herz, daß sie Deinen großen, gewaltigen Namen lieben und ehrfürchten — damit sie nie zu Schanden werden. |
First repetition: All the vows of the children of Israel, by which they vow to You, our King, to obey the words of Your teaching and Your testimonies, and to neither to the right nor to the left turn from Your commandments, from this Day of Atonement until the next (may it come with salvation to us!) — may they all rise up to You and be received by You in grace. Send it into their hearts that they love and revere Your great, mighty name, so that they will never be put to shame. |
כׇּל נִדְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֵמָה נֹדְרִים לְךָ, אָבִינוּ, לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי הַצְּדָקָה וְהַחֶסֶד וְהָרַחֲמִים וּלְבִלְתִי אַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבָם מֵאֲחֵיהֶם, מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה, כֻּלָם יַעֲלוּ וְיָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּיעוּ וְיֵרָאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְרַחֲמִים, וְכֹף אֶת יִצְרָם וְהַכְנַע אֶת עׇרְפָּם לָתֵת יָד לְפֹשְׁעִים וּמֵחַטָּאתָם יִטְהָרוּ׃ |
Alle Gelübde der Kinder Israels, durch welche sie Dir, unserm Vater, geloben, in des Wegen der Gerechtigkeit, der Liebe und des Erbarmens zu wandeln und ihr Herz nicht zu verhärten gegen ihre Brüder, von diesem Versöhnungstage an bis zum nächsten uns zum Heile kommenden: Mögen sie alle zu Dir emporsteigen und von Dir in Gnaden aufgenommen werden. Zwinge Du ihren Sinn, beuge Du ihre Hartnäckigkeit, daß sie zur Versöhnung die Hand reichen denen, welche sich gegen sie vergangen — auf daß sie von ihren Sünden rein werden. |
Second repetition: All the vows of the children of Israel, by which they vow to You, our Father, to walk in the way of righteousness, love, and compassion, and not to harden their hearts toward their brethren, from this Day of Atonement until the next (may it come with salvation to us!) — may they all rise up to You and be received by You in grace. May You force their minds, bend their obstinacy, to stretch out their hand in atonement to those who have transgressed against them, so that they may be cleansed from their sins. |
כׇּל נִדְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֵמָה נֹדְרִים לְךָ אֲדוֹנֵנוּ בְּנׇשְׂאָם עֵינֵיהֶם אֵילֶיךָ הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָׁמַיִּם לָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ בְּכׇל לְבָבָם וּבְכׇל נַפְשָׁם מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה כֻּלָם יַעֲלוּ וְיָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּיעוּ וְיֵרָאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְרַחֲמִים, וְחַדֵּשׁ רוּחַ נָכוֹן בְּקִרְבָּם לְמַעַן יָסוּרוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה וְאַל יָשׁוּבוּ לְכִסְלָה׃ |
Alle Gelübde der Kinder Israels, durch welche sie Dir, unserm Herrn, geloben, indem sie ihre Augen zu Dir erherben, der Du im Himmel thronst, reuig zu Dir zurückzukehren aus vollem Herzen und mit ganzer Seele, von diesem Versöhnungstage an bis zum nächsten uns zum Heile kommenden: Mögen sie alle zu Dir emporsteigen und von Dir in Gnaden aufgenommen werden. Erneure Du einen festen Geist in ihnen — auf daß sie von ihrem bösen Wandel ablassen und nie wieder zur Torheit zurückkehren. |
Third repetition: All the vows of the children of Israel, by which they vow to You, our Lord, to lift their eyes to You enthroned in Heaven, to return to You with all their hearts and with all their souls, from this Day of Atonement until the next (may it come with salvation to us!) — may they all rise up to You and be received by You in grace. Renew a steadfast spirit within them, that they may desist from their wicked ways, and never return to folly. |
This is the Kol Nidrei as offered by the Hannover Community Synagogue on Yom Kippur in 1937 according to the text provided in a poster, “Agende für Kol-nidre und Seelenfeier in der Synagogen-Gemeinde Hannover” (10 September 1937). (Thank you to Shufra Judaica for providing digital images of the poster.) The text was likely composed by Rabbi Samuel Freund (1868-1939).
Source(s)
Agende für Kol-nidre und Seelenfeier in der Synaogen-Gemeinde Hannover (10 September 1937) recto Agende für Kol-nidre und Seelenfeier in der Synaogen-Gemeinde Hannover (10 September 1937) verso
“כׇּל נִדְרֵי | Alternative Kol Nidre from Synagogen-Gemeinde Hannover (1937)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)
Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)
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