Yizkor in the Wake of October 7: Liturgical Creativity, Trauma, and Renewal

The Yizkor memorial service is one of the most solemn and powerful moments of the synagogue service on Yom Kippur and the pilgrimage festivals. This session will explore the history of Yizkor, focusing on new prayers and liturgical poems (piyyutim) written in the wake of the October 7, 2023 war. Using these contemporary texts as a case study, we will examine how modern Jewish liturgy innovates and responds to national trauma.