As we approach the holiest day on the Jewish calendar—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement—we are in a period called the Days of Awe. It is a time of deep reflection when we contemplate the meaning of life and loss. In a year like the one we have all been experiencing, it’s hard to reconcile so much hardship and loss with renewed hope and optimism for the new year that lies ahead.

Rabbi Sally J. Priesand, the first ordained female rabbi in the U.S., will offer her thoughts, and words of reflection for study and prayer during this time leading up to Yom Kippur and the Yizkor—memorial—service. We will then view and recall together the moving remarks Justice Ginsburg made during her Only in America award acceptance speech at our Museum just this past December, before concluding with the Mourner’s Kaddish—a solemn prayer traditionally spoken by those mourning the loss of a loved one, teacher, or person held in high respect.

Image: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court official portrait, 2016