The most memorable prayer of the Jewish New Year—what it means, why we sing it, and the secret of its magical appeal. Through a series of lively commentaries, over thirty contributors—men and women, scholars and rabbis, artists and poets, spanning three continents and all major Jewish denominations—examine  Kol Nidre 's theology, usage, and deeply personal impact. They trace the actual history of the prayer and attempts through the ages to emend it, downplay it and even do away with it—all in vain. They explore why  Kol Nidre  remains an annual liturgical highlight that is regularly attended even by Jews who disbelieve everything the prayer says. Contributors include:  Rabbi Tony Bayfield, CBE, DD • Dr. Annette M. Boeckler • Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler • Dr. Erica Brown • Dr. Eliezer Diamond • Rabbi Ruth Durchslag, PsyD • Rachel Farbiarz • Rabbi Edward Feinstein • Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand • Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhD • Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD • Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur • Rabbi Elie Kaunfer • Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar • Dr. Reuven Kimelman • Dr. Mark Kligman • Rabbi Lawrence Kushner • Rabbi Noa Kushner • Rabbi Daniel Landes • Liz Lerman • Catherine Madsen • Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhD • Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD • Ruth Messinger • Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhD • Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum • Rabbi Aaron Panken, PhD • Rabbi Marc Saperstein, PhD • Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso • Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin • Rabbi David Stern • Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD • Dr. Ellen M. Umansky • Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD • Dr. Ron Wolfson • Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel • Dr. Wendy Zierler Another fascinating and useful series on prayer and liturgy is brought to life by Rabbi Hoffman, long-time Professor of Liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. " Kol Nidre is at one and the same time both less and more than a prayer: 'less than' a prayer in that it is actually a legal formula with none of the formal characteristics that designate prayers as a distinctive outcry of the human spirit: but 'more than' a prayer in that it is an entire ritual in and of itself." Discussing the issues raised by the moral problem of abjuring all vows, Rabbi Hoffman considers the opinions of the seventh-century geonim (Rabbinic authorities) that, speaking of Kol Nidre , "call it a foolish custom that is to be avoided" and debunks theories connecting the prayer to the suffering of conversos during the Spanish Inquisition. 38 essays explore the history of the prayer, its relation to Jewish law, its appearance, modifications and omission in the liturgy through the ages, the music and interpretation of the prayer today. The authors include a roster of well-regarded Rabbis and scholars in the American and British world of Reform, Conservative and Liberal Judaism. As is often the case in a collection of essays, there is much that is repetitive, but the reader can choose to read just a few essays and still understand them thoroughly. Includes bibliographic notes, glossary but no index. -- Merrily Hart ― Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD , has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He is a world-renowned liturgist and holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. His work combines research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism. He has written and edited many books, including All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days; May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism— Yizkor, We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism—Ashamnu and Al Chet, Who by Fire, Who by Water— Un'taneh Tokef and All These Vows —Kol Nidre, the first five volumes in the Prayers of Awe series; the My People's Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries series, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and he is coeditor of My People's Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries (all Jewish Lights), a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Rabbi Hoffman is a developer of Synagogue 3000, a transdenominational project designed to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century. Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, is available to speak on the following topics: A Day of Wine and Moses: The Passover Haggadah and the Seder You Have Always Wanted - Preparing for the High Holy Days: How to Appreciate the Liturgy of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - The Essence of Jewish Prayer: The Prayer Book in Context and Worship in Our Time - Beyond Ethnicity: The Coming Project for North American Jewish Identity - Synagogue Change: Transforming Synagogues as Spiritual and Moral Centers for the Twenty-First Century Catherine Madsen is the author of The Bones Reassemble: Reconstituting Liturgical Speech; In Medias Res: Liturgy for the Estranged ; and a novel,