Young Israel of Northridge

The Loneliest Yizkor Yizkor is a solemn time, yet it is said during a joyous holiday. It is a moment of public privacy, where individuals stand together but pray apart, each person for their own loved ones. Those that have both parents alive are asked to leave for two reasons. One is to not cause extra anguish to those that have lost their own parents. The other is to not cause an ayin hara, evil eye on those whose parents are still alive. The moment of yizkor serves a dual ...purpose, to elevate the souls of those that have passed, and to be a cathartic experience for those reciting it. For many this year, Yizkor was a lonelier experience, whether it was recited over Zoom prior to Yom Tov or recited on Yom Tov, alone at home. Though I don't usually stay in for Yizkor as per the reasons listed above, this year, I decided that I should 'stay in'. I realized that there would likely be many souls who wouldn't have yizkor said for them, either because they have no family listed, or the family members just wouldn't say yizkor. On the last day of Yom Tov I decided to take a clandestine walk to shul. Face mask emblazoned, with my glasses fogging up with each breath, I felt myself on a mission to help the souls that would otherwise remain as a named plaque on the wall with no prayer to help them. It was a semi-cloudy day, the Shul was darkened, with the main lights off. There was still light in the room which was coming from the ner tamid, eternal light, and the bulbs of the Yahrzeit boards. Opening the doors of the bimah, I found the Yizkor booklet that we use for the year. It contains all the names of those that have a plaque on our walls, as well as those that specifically requested to have their beloved names read aloud on the Yom Tov. I began the Yizkor service at the bimah, now with rays of sunlight beginning to peer through the windows. The Torahs remained in the Aron Kodesh, as I stood with a siddur, a booklet and the mini lights representing the many souls yearning for salvation. Though I couldn’t say the Yizkor portion, I was able to say the Kel-Maleh prayer for all of those names. Line after line, page after page, I recited each of the names. Here in this one booklet, with hundreds of names, were thousands of years lived on this earth. Thousands of years yearning for a brighter tomorrow, a more glorified purpose of their own lives and a hope that they will be remembered by future generations. And so they were. The loneliest yizkor in shul was completed one hour before the sun set on Pesach 5780. - Rabbi Nachi Klein

HAPPY CHANUKAH! TONIGHT @6:30 PM!

Happy Chanukah! May this year be filled with tremendous light and joy! Please join us for an exciting community event this Tuesday! Event details below. Visit www.yion.org to purchase entry tickets and raffle tickets.

NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT! INTERACTIVE CHANUKAH GAME NIGHT! Join us for an evening of virtual and live games, great food, cookie decorating, photo booth photo shoots, raffles, and of course--donuts! Visit www.yion.org to purchase tickets

A fun-filled Chanukah night for the whole family! INTERACTIVE GAME NIGHT! December 24th at Young Israel of Northridge! - Photo Booth ... - Raffles - Motion Technology and Live Board Games! - Sushi, Pizza, Cookie Decorating, & SO MUCH MORE! Visit www.yion.org to purchase tickets. ENTRY TICKETS: $10/pp or $25/family RAFFLE TICKETS: $5/each or $25/6 tickets