Selichot: Ashkenazic vs. Sephardic Customs

Have you ever heard beautiful, haunting melodies echoing from a synagogue in the middle of the night? Selichot, the penitential prayers recited in the period before Rosh Hashanah, are among the most emotionally powerful services of the Jewish year. But if you have attended Selichot in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities, you know that the experience can be quite different. Here is a guide to both traditions.

What Are Selichot?

Selichot (singular: selichah) are prayers asking God for forgiveness. They are built around the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which God revealed to Moses after the sin of the golden calf. These attributes describe God as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth. Reciting the Thirteen Attributes is considered one of the most effective forms of prayer, as God promised that whenever Israel invokes these attributes, their prayers will not return empty.

The Sephardic Tradition

Sephardic communities begin Selichot on the second day of Elul, giving them a full 40 days of penitential prayers before Yom Kippur. This 40-day period mirrors the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai seeking forgiveness for the golden calf.

Sephardic Selichot are typically recited in the early morning hours, before the regular morning service. The service includes numerous piyutim (liturgical poems) specific to each day, many composed by great Sephardic poets over the centuries. The melodies are distinctive and vary by community: Moroccan, Iraqi, Syrian, Turkish, and other Sephardic traditions each have their own musical styles. The atmosphere is contemplative and melodious, building gradually over the course of the month.

The Ashkenazic Tradition

Ashkenazic communities begin Selichot later, on the Saturday night (motzaei Shabbat) before Rosh Hashanah. If Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot begin the previous Saturday night to ensure at least four days of Selichot before the holiday.

The first night of Ashkenazic Selichot is typically held at midnight or shortly after, creating a dramatic late-night experience. Many communities make the first Selichot a major communal event, with large attendance and special musical renditions. Subsequent mornings, Selichot are recited in the early morning hours before Shacharit.

The Ashkenazic Selichot service is generally shorter than the Sephardic version on any given day but intense and focused. The central feature is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, recited multiple times. The service also includes confessional prayers and selected piyutim.

The Thirteen Attributes

Both traditions place the Thirteen Attributes at the center of Selichot. The text, from Exodus 34:6-7, is chanted responsively by the congregation and the leader. In both traditions, the ark is opened for the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes, and the congregation stands. The melody used for the Thirteen Attributes often sets the emotional tone for the entire service.

Common Ground

Despite the differences in timing, length, and melodies, the purpose of Selichot is the same in both traditions: to awaken the heart to teshuvah (repentance), to ask God for forgiveness, and to prepare spiritually for the judgment of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Both traditions emphasize that God is merciful and responds to sincere prayer, and both use the power of communal prayer to create an atmosphere of spiritual awakening.

For more on High Holiday preparation, see our guides to Elul, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Rosh Hashanah.