Kibbutz Be’eri will open this year’s Yom Kippur services with a new machzor (festival prayer book), created especially for the community, which unites Sephardi and Ashkenazi liturgical traditions in a single volume, according to Koren Publishing’s official Facebook page.
The launch comes as the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre approaches, when the southern kibbutz suffered some of the heaviest losses in Israel.
According to Koren, the Be’eri Yom Kippur Machzor is the culmination of two decades of community building and of the dedication of prayer leaders who traveled from across Israel to serve during the High Holy Days.
The publisher said the book also carries the memory of Yossi Sharabi, who had led the kibbutz’s Yom Kippur services until he was murdered in Gaza.
Koren wrote that it was “privileged to take part in creating the machzor” and to contribute its editorial experience to help realize the community’s vision, adding that Be’eri’s Yom Kippur prayers will rise “as testimony to the resilience, unity, and unbroken spirit of the Jewish people.”
Comments on Koren’s post were immediate and emotional. Readers wrote that they “want one too,” called the project “moving,” “chilling and moving,” and “moving and touching” and said “there is something special about Be’eri.”
Others praised it as a “beautiful initiative,” suggested it “belongs in a museum,” and posted simple reactions like “wow.” One commenter added, “May all the prayers be accepted.”
Many asked if the machzor could be purchased, posting questions such as whether it would be available outside Be’eri, where it could be purchased, and how to obtain a copy. Several wrote, “I would love to purchase,” and one person noted, “Amazing, we already ordered for our community.”
A private edition, unavailable for purchase
Koren emphasized that the project was initiated by Kibbutz Be’eri in partnership with the publishing house and that the machzor was produced for community use only. It is a private edition, not marketed to the general public, the Facebook post said, addressing the many purchase inquiries.
The decision to weave Sephardi and Ashkenazi customs into one volume reflects the diverse makeup of Be’eri’s congregation as well as a broader trend in Israeli synagogues that seek to accommodate multiple traditions under one roof.
In practical terms, such a machzor aligns shared prayers while preserving distinctive melodies, piyyutim (liturgical poems), and textual nuances, allowing worshipers following either custom to pray together without needing to switch books.
The kibbutz near the Gaza border became a symbol of loss and resilience after October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked communities in the area, killing and kidnapping civilians.