yom kippur

• Yom Kippur

  The Day of Atonement
• Atonement


  Repairing relationships, particularly with God
• Yom Kippur


  1. Marks the end of 10 days of repentance from Rosh Hashanah

  2. Day of fasting and prayer

  3. God makes final judgments on people's worthiness
• Yom Kippur celebration


  • Fasting for 25 hours (no food, drink, makeup, perfume, sexual intercourse)
  • Concentrating on repairing relationship with God, not others or self
  • Donating food and money to the poor
• Isaiah said "this is the fast I declare: share your bread with the hungry"
• Yom Kippur synagogue service

  1. Prayers and songs

  2. Wearing white to show purity

  3. Public apology (Kol Nidre)

  4. Confessing personal sins (Vidui)

  5. Reciting the Shema prayer
• Shema prayer


  Affirms belief in one God, need to follow the mitzvot, show love of God, and teach them to children
• Stories told during Yom Kippur

  • The story of Jonah
  • The scapegoat ceremony from Leviticus
• Shofar

  A ram's horn blown in the synagogue, as an "alarm clock" to remind Jews to repent and live good lives
• Leviticus: 'On this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you then before the Lord you'll be clean from all your sins'
• Humans fall short of God

  They need to repent and live good lives, like the prophet Jonah, to receive God's forgiving grace