by Theresa Cobb

Created on: September 09, 2009

The original author or composer of the melodic Judaic prayer, the Kol Nidre, also known as the Kol Nidrei, is a mystery. It's religious, social and economic implications has been openly questioned by Jews and gentiles alike. The exact date of it's inception is not known, but, as an opening prayer to the Yom Kippur celebration, it was very popular during the Jewish Geonic period, approximately 650-1250 CE. Even today, this controversial prayer is spoken in Aramaic and takes place before sunset on the eve of the Day of Atonement in some, but not all, Jewish synagogues. The name of the prayer is taken from its first words, Kol Nidre or "all vows".

According to the Jewish Encylopedia, from it's very beginnings it was opposed by rabbinical authorities and it has consistently created a fervent backlash of distrust in the anti-semtic community that continues on, even today. The fact is, the practice of NOT saying the Kol Nidre has been around as long as the existence of the introductory prayer. In an effort to bring the Jewish community under the Babylonian Talmud, the Kol Nidre was banned in 760 CE by Yehudai Gaon, the head of the Jewish academy, in the Babylonian city called Sura, west of the Euphrates River in a land known today as Iraq.

The original or Sephardic form, asked for forgiveness or annulment of all personal vows made by Jew to Jehovah, from last year's Day of Atonement until the current year's celebration. The popular research website, Wikipedia.com, reports that, "In the eleventh century Rabbi Meir ben Samuel (Rashi's son-in-law) changed the original wording of Kol Nidre so as to make the Nusach Ashkenaz version apply to the future instead of the past; that is, to vows that one might not be able to fulfill during the next year."

In the fourteenth century, Rabbi Jeroham ben Meshullam, of medieval Spain, declared that any fool who recited or adhered to the Kol Nidre, could not be trusted to give an oath in a court of law. Rabbi Jeroham ben Meshullam's concern was for the ignorant country Jew who might mistakenly believe he would not be held accountable if he did not follow through on contract or agreement. This did little, if nothing, to dispel the anti-Semitic belief that Jews could not be trusted to tell the truth or fulfill a legally-binding contract.

In the ninteenth century, 1844, the rabbinical conference held at Brunswick call for the speedy abolishment of the Kol Nidre. Even though many congregations of western Europe and the American Reform Judaism congregations accepted the call for banishment of the prayer, in 1927, Al Jolson in a historical move, passionately performed the Jewish prayer in the Hollywood film, The Jazz Singer, the first musical talking picture.

Today, as in the 7th century, the Kol Nidre, a peaceful little melodic prayer, still causes contention between the anti-Semites and Jews.

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