Which prayer beginning 'Our Father, Our King' is recited during Yom Kippur?

The prayer beginning “Our Father, Our King” is Avinu Malkeinu.

Avinu Malkeinu is recited during the Ten Days of Repentance, from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. Its Hebrew name means “Our Father, Our King,” combining two biblical descriptions of God. The prayer is a series of supplications asking for forgiveness, blessing, protection, and a favorable judgment.

Its wording and placement vary among Jewish traditions. Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Italian, and Yemenite prayer books may contain different numbers and arrangements of verses. On Yom Kippur, some communities recite it in several services, including Ne’ilah, the closing service.

A common mix-up is confusing Avinu Malkeinu with Kol Nidre. Kol Nidre is the dramatic Aramaic declaration traditionally heard at the opening of Yom Kippur, while Avinu Malkeinu is a recurring penitential prayer. The Talmud connects an early form of Avinu Malkeinu with Rabbi Akiva’s prayer for rain, and later generations expanded it into the familiar litany.