Video:What Is Yom Kippur?

Transcript:What Is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is one of two Jewish High Holy Days. It falls ten days after Rosh Hashanah on the 10th of Tishrei, which is a Hebrew month that correlates with September-October on the secular calendar.

Description of Yom Kippur

The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people and between individuals and God. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being.

Essential Components of Yom Kippur

There are three essential components of Yom Kippur:

1. Teshuvah (Repentance)

2. Prayer

3. Fasting

More Information About Yom Kippur

Teshuvah (Repentance): Yom Kippur is a day of reconciliation, when Jews strive to make amends with people and to draw closer to God through prayer and fasting. The ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period Jews are encouraged to seek out anyone they may have offended and to sincerely request forgiveness so that the New Year can begin with a clean slate.This process of repentance is called teshuvah and it is a crucial part of Yom Kippur.

Prayer: Yom Kippur is the longest synagogue service in the Jewish year. It begins on the evening before Yom Kippur day with a haunting song called Kol Nidre (or All Vows). The words of this melody ask God to forgive any vows people have made to God and not kept.

The service on the day of Yom Kippur lasts from morning until nightfall. During the afternoon portion of the Yom Kippur service the Book of Jonah is read to remind people of God's willingness to forgive those who are sincerely sorry. The last part of the service is called Ne’ilah (or Shutting). People pray intensely during this time, hoping to be admitted to God’s presence before the gates have been shut.

Fasting: Yom Kippur is also marked by 25 hours of fasting. The fast starts an hour before Yom Kippur begins and ends after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. In addition to food, Jews are also forbidden from engaging in sexual relations, bathing or wearing leather shoes. Many people end the fast with a feeling of deep serenity, which comes from having made peace with others and with God.

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