Haredi Rabbis Perform 'Kaparot' Ritual with Chickens Ahead of Yom Kippur

Prominent Haredi rabbis were documented performing the 'Kaparot' ritual, a pre-Yom Kippur custom involving the symbolic atonement of sins by swinging a chicken over one's head. The ritual, which involves reciting specific prayers, was observed in the homes of several leading rabbis in Bnei Brak, a major Haredi center in Israel.

Among those photographed participating in the tradition were Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Bergman, Rabbi David Povarsky, Rabbi David Landau, and Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein. The photographs, taken by various photographers including Shuki Lerer, M. Adler, and 'Divrei Hamed', offer a glimpse into the private observance of this significant religious practice within the Haredi community.

The Kaparot ritual is traditionally performed on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is the holiest day in Judaism. It is believed to transfer sins to the chicken, which is then typically slaughtered and the meat donated to charity. While widely practiced in some segments of the Orthodox Jewish world, the ritual has also faced criticism from animal welfare groups and some rabbinic authorities over the years.