Fear, Trauma, and the High Holidays: Reading Ancient Texts with Compassion 

Fear, Trauma, and the High Holidays: Reading Ancient Texts with Compassion 

Part of Our 2026 High Holiday Webinar Series, Past and Presence: Encountering the High Holidays

August 24, 2026
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Online

With Rabbi Naomi Kalish, Harold and Carole Wolfe Director of the Center for Pastoral Education; Assistant Professor of Pastoral Education, JTS

The High Holiday liturgy repeatedly calls us to confront fear while urging us toward hope, trust, and renewal. Yet for many, these texts can resonate in unexpected—and sometimes painful—ways.

In this session, Rabbi Naomi Kalish, Director of the Program in Spiritual Care and Counseling, JTS, will explore how the themes of fear and trauma surface throughout the High Holidays, with particular attention to the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, the Binding of Isaac, and the recurring language of the Psalms. Drawing on Jewish tradition, contemporary understandings of trauma, and the wisdom of chaplaincy, she will invite participants to consider how we can engage these sacred texts honestly and compassionately, creating space for reflection, healing, and spiritual growth. 

If you have previously registered for another session in this series, your registration admits you to all sessions in the series, and you may attend as many as you’d like. 

About the Series

What does it mean to prepare and show up for the High Holidays in our own time? This three-part series explores how Jewish tradition has preserved, interpreted, and renewed the themes of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur through sacred objects, timeless texts, and personal prayer. Together, we’ll explore the objects that have carried Jewish tradition across centuries, engage with ancient texts with compassion and honesty, and reflect on how our own voices become part of the ongoing story of Jewish prayer and renewal.

View All Sessions in the Series

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