Avinu Malkenu -- Our Father, Our King -- is one of the core prayers of the High Holidays. But what does it mean? The Talmud tells the story of how and why this prayer was written, offering a very different understanding of what we might have expected. As we prepare together to pray on High Holidays, we will look at the story of the writing of Avinu Malkenu and a number of related Talmudic stories to explore this prayer in a new light.

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is president and CEO of the Hadar Institute. A Wexner Graduate Fellow and Dorot Fellow, Kaunfer has been named multiple times to Newsweek’s list of the top 50 rabbis in America. He is the author of Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us About Building Vibrant Jewish Communities. He received semikha from his long-time teacher, Rav Daniel Landes.