Kol Nidre (All Vows): A Prayer for Yom Kippur
Read this prayer below, or listen to this youtube audio. Courtesy of: Beit Hallel Congregation in Roswell, GA.
Kol Nidre (meaning: "all vows") is an Aramaic declaration which begins the Yom Kippur service in the synagogue. The exact date and author are unknown, but it was already in use during the Geonic period (589–1038 CE).
One common theory suggests that the Kol Nidre declaration emerged during a time of intense persecution, when Jews were forced—often under threat of death—to convert to Christianity or Islam.
Reciting this declaration was seen as a way to reaffirm one’s Jewish identity, effectively canceling the forced conversion in the eyes of the Jewish community.
Transliteration of Kol Nidre:
Kol nidrei ve’esarei
ush’vu’ei vacharamei vekonamei vekinuyei
vekinusei dindarna,
ud’ishtabana, ud’acharimna,
ud’asarna al nafshatana,
miyom Kippurim zeh ad yom Kippurim haba aleinu letovah,
bekhull’hon icharatna vehon,
khull’hon yehon sharan,
shevikin, shevitin, beteilin, u’mevutalin,
la sheririn vela kayamin—
nidrana la nidrei,
ve’esarana la esarei,
ush’vuatana la shevuot.
Kol Nidre Prayer in Aramaic:
כָּל נִדְרֵי וֶאֱסָרֵי
וּשְׁבוּעֵי וַחֲרָמֵי וְקוֹנָמֵי וְכִנּוּיֵי
וְקִנוּסֵי דִּנְדַֽרְנָא
וּדְאִשְׁתַּבַּֽעְנָא. וּדְאַחֲרִימְנָא
וּדְאָסַֽרְנָא עַל נַפְשָׁתָֽנָא
מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּרִים זֶה עַד יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ לְטוֹבָה
בְּכֻלְּהוֹן אִחֲרַֽטְנָא בְהוֹן
כֻּלְּהוֹן יְהוֹן שָׁרָן
שְׁבִיקִין, שְׁבִיתִין, בְּטֵלִין וּמְבֻטָּלִין
לָא שְׁרִירִין וְלָא קַיָּמִין
נִדְרָֽנָא לָא נִדְרֵי
וֶאֱסָרָֽנָא לָא אֱסָרֵי
וּשְׁבוּעָתָֽנָא לָא שְׁבוּעוֹת
English Translation of Kol Nidre (All Vows):
All vows, and prohibitions,
and oaths, and consecrations, and bans, and terms,
and obligations that we vow,
and swear, and devote, and prohibit upon ourselves—
from this Yom Kippur until the next Yom Kippur,
may it come upon us for good—
regarding all of them, we regret them.
Let all of them be annulled,
canceled, voided, and nullified.
Let them not be valid or binding.
Our vows are not vows;
our prohibitions are not prohibitions;
our oaths are not oaths.
