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Selichot
You may say selichot by yourself.
Note You may only say the paragraph with God's 13 Attributes/Midot (beginning with El melech...) if you are praying with a minyan.
When To Hit Your Chest during Prayers
Hit your chest near your heart with your fist at:
  • Chatanu... and ... fashanu... in slach lanu,
  • First line of Avinu malkeinu (except on Rosh Hashana),
  • Ve'al cheit and ve'al chataim in the al cheit for Yom Kippur, and
  • Ashamnu on
    • Rosh Hashana,
    • 10 Days of Repentance,
    • Fast days, and
    • Selichot.
 
Changing Your Customs (Minhag) in New Community
When moving to a community with customs different from your own, adopt the customs of your new community but ONLY:
  • If you intend to stay in that new community, and
  • If the entire community follows the same customs.
Note An Ashkenazi who moves to a Sefardi community could eat kitniyot on Passover but would have to wake up extremely early for selichot and say them for the month of Elul, so think carefully about the trade-off!
Prayers that Require a Minyan
Although it is preferable to join a minyan whenever possible, prayer services may be said without a minyan. However, certain prayers may be said (or omitted) only with a minyan present:
  • Bar'chu (morning and night),
  • The word “Eloheinu” in the birkat ha'mazon introduction,
  • Kaddish,
  • Kedusha,
  • Reader's repetition of the amida,
  • Sheva brachot (the seven blessings) at a wedding,
  • Sheva brachot during the week following the wedding,
  • 13 midot in selichot,
  • Torah reading if there will be aliyot, and
  • Skipping the three introductory words for the shema.
Note A minyan is preferable but not required for a circumcision.