With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
Mark the start of Yom Kippur with — an immersive art exhibit
As the Jewish High Holidays come to a close, Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center is putting together an event to mark the occasion with a decidedly different approach: an immersive art installation.
The “UnLoose” exhibit marks the occasion of Kol Nidre, the declaration that traditionally starts services for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Kerry Chaplin told LAist that though the event might be a bit unfamiliar to people used to more conventional synagogue settings, the event is deeply rooted in Jewish theology — though people of any faith are welcome at the installation.
“On this evening of Kol Nidre, we invite this experience of union between this world and worlds we don't understand — some people would call that heaven or the next world or where God is,” Chaplin said. “It can open us up, sometimes, to mistakes we've made.”
What to expect
Unless you’ve been to a previous version of this event at Silverlake Independent JCC, Chaplin said attendees likely haven’t experienced anything quite like this before.
“ I would say someone who has some experience with Kol Nidre is going to say, ‘Oh, I have never been to something like this before. This is not the synagogue experience of my childhood,’” Chaplin said. “And someone who hasn't been there before is going to be just falling into the common human threads of the whole experience.”
Attendees will get a Google form where they can submit fears, doubts, or anything they’d like to leave behind in the new year anonymously. You can also submit them at the door.
These contributions will be woven into the experience, which includes projections and a score performed by live musicians. The goal in the end is to transform the negative feelings into another feeling while still hearing them out.
“Some of us who've spent time with our fear, we've witnessed that happen,” Chaplin said. “It can transform into compassion. It can transform into love. It can transform into courage. So I'm excited to see what it will transform into in this collective ritual.”
The event is for anyone (of any faith) over 10, so don’t expect everything to be too heavy – you might hear some anxieties about the current school year mixed in with declarations of existential dread.
“The preschoolers are also invited to participate, so they are going to say things that are really different than what somebody in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 90s is going to say,” Chaplin said.
And attendees are welcome to share as much, or as little, as they’d like.
“ It's up to you whether you wanna go all in and show up with something you've been carrying for a while, or you wanna go and just observe,” Chaplin said.
How to attend
Tickets are available at Silverlake Independent JCC’s website. They’re free for members of the Silverlake Independent JCC and cost $10 for non-members.
The installation begins at 6:19 p.m. and continues through 8 p.m. at the location on Bates Avenue in Silver Lake. A pre-fast meal will also be offered at 5 p.m. Childcare for children under 10 will be available starting at 6 p.m.
The Silverlake Independent JCC will also hold an event to mark Yom Kippur the next day with a Tot service, plus yoga and sound baths available. Details for that event are here.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious.
-
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.
-
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places.
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
-
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump.