Greetings From Camp Cohen - G'Mar Tov

September 25, 2012

G'mar Tov

This photo of the sun setting in Toulon, France, the next stop on Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas World Tour, captures the essence of the solemnity of Yom Kippur which begins tonight at sundown and extends until sunset tomorrow.

G'mar Tov is a common blessing or greeting before Yom Kippur. It's literal meaning is "finish good."

 It is said, "On Rosh Hashana, it is written.  On Yom Kippur, it is sealed." Thus, the traditional Yom Kippur salutation is "G'mar Tov" (finish well) or "G'mar Chatima Tova" (may you be sealed in the book of life).

And what is "written on Rosh Hashana" forms the basis for Leonard Cohen's masterpiece, "Who By Fire".

For more background, please see my earlier post,  Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire and the Unetanah Tokef Prayer in High Holiday Services, 5772

Thanks go to Camp Cohen, Notes From The Road webmaster Joey Carenza (J.S. Carenza III)  for this very moving photo and greeting.