Yom Kippur in the IDC parking lot was incredible. A shocking TWO HUNDRED students and lone soldiers came out for Kol Nidrei. We quickly ran out of chairs and machzorim, but the atmosphere was strong and positive, and everyone was happy to be there.
To end off Yom Kippur, we were joined by an additional hundred or so local Herzliyans who somehow heard about the service and came along. There were datiim, chilonim, chutznikim and Israelis, and even families riding bikes who got off for a few minutes to join together in the final shofar blowing and singing of “Leshana Haba BYerushayalim!” The parking lot was alive with hundreds of Jews of all types joined in the final moments of Yom Kippur, not to mention students watching from the dorms and Herzliyans from their balconies. We ended with havdalah, giving out hundreds of bags of bamba and water bottles, and cleaning up.
Throughout the service, we kept chairs 2 meters apart from each other, split everyone into capsules of 20, provided masks, kippot and LOTS of hand sanitizer.
Here’s a video from the set up before and after: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=771551750083777&extid=i9LjHzCUWFyna48t
By: Rabbi Josh and Margot Botwinick, OU-JLIC Directors at IDC