It may come as a surprise to many, but my absolute favorite Jewish holiday is Yom Kippur, the day that Jews around the world atone for their sins of the past year.
For my non-Jewish friends, the fact that nearly all of our faith's most important and reverent holidays happen in the fall - within weeks of each other - seemed like a blessing. In Chicago, where I grew up, we didn't have school for these holidays - so to them it was just a great reason to head out of town. But for me, it meant sitting in the synagogue (our house of worship) for hours on end, while we prayed.
It's not a "fun holiday" like Hanukkah or Purim, nor do we get to feast as we do on Passover or Sukkoth. It's 24 hours of fasting and praying - but for me, it's the one day of the year that I feel closest to my faith. It is a day that I can spend almost entirely reflecting on my behaviors - both good and bad - and set the path for how I'd like to behave in the year ahead. I also make a mental note of the apologies I need to make - typically to my family and friends, but also to strangers, for things like being quick to anger, passing judgment, gossip and dishonesty. In many instances, it leads to some pretty intense and sincere dialogue with my husband, family and kids - and it's beautiful. For those who may not know much about this holiday, I tried to break it down for you!
So, what is Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur is often known as the "sabbath of sabbaths" in Judaism. It is a 24-hour period of repentance and follows Rosh Hashana by one week. According to tradition, Gd inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into the book of life on Rosh Hashana and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the prayer services and the days between the two holidays, Jewish people amend any ill-behaviors and seek forgiveness for their wrongdoings and transgressions against Gd and other human beings.
How is it "celebrated"? This year, Yom Kippur is celebrated beginning at sundown on September 27th and concludes at sundown on September 28th. Typically, most Jewish people will attend synagogue for services and group prayer, torah study and mindfulness activities that require very little energy. Our synagogue typically offers a restorative yoga practice or meditation in addition to discussions about Torah and current events. However, because COV19 has limited social gatherings (prayer included) and concerns for health and safety take precedence, we will be observing and seeking forgiveness together, from home, as a family.
Yom Kippur also has some pretty special traditions that we love, including the blowing of the shofar. The shofar is a ram's horn that was used historically as an alarm or warning. But on Yom Kippur, it is blown in a series and - without fail - this takes my breath away every year (no pun intended).
After 24-hours of fasting, we would typically host friends and family for a Break Fast that would include some of our favorites:
- Sweet Noodle Kugel - this recipe is probably the most similar to the one my Gammy passed down to my mom, and my mom to me.
- Bagels, lox and cream cheese
- Salads like tuna, whitefish and egg
- Potato latkes
- Quiche - we love this one
- Breakfast Casseroles like this one is always a favorite ~ though we usually make it with turkey bacon instead of pork!
What do you say for Yom Kippur? Remember we said this isn't a "happy holiday," rather a day to atone and repent. So, you typically do not wish someone a "Happy Yom Kippur." Instead, you would offer a blessing of an easy fast. You can also offer “Gmar hatimah tovah,” or “Gmar tov,” which roughly translates to “a good seal.” And, following the holiday, you could always offer "Shana Tova," or Happy New Year. That said, I've never been upset with anyone for wishing me a Happy Yom Kippur - so don't worry if you've done that, too!
G'mar hatima tova to you and yours and may you be inscribed in the book of life for another year.
