Re: Kol Nidre

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

It occurs to me that the line, I believe, *before* Kol Nidre perhaps does 
refer, or perhaps is understood to refer, to those who underwent forced 
conversions.  (It "gives us permission" to pray with "those who have 
transgressed.")  Maybe that's what Joe was thinking of here.

--Robert Cohen


>Yes, the absolution of vows is problematical.  Jews have been
>discouraged from making vows for  a long time, Yiftakh (Jepthah)
>being one of the earliest examples of what trouble it can bring.  But
>accurate or not, we associate Kol Nidre, including the change of
>wording from vows taken in the past to vows that might be taken in
>the future, with our feelings about forced religious conversion.  If
>that's not what we're thinking about when we're singing Kol Nidre,
>then maybe we shouldn't sing it at all.


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