(Community Matters) began at sundown yesterday, through sundown this evening
g’mar chatimah tovah,
may you be sealed for a good year in the Book of Life
may you be sealed for a good year in the Book of Life
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a solemn fast day. Jews pray for forgiveness from God, repent sincerely for their sins during the past year, and bring tz’dakah (charitable expressions of righteousness) to the Temple. Families gather for a plentiful if simple meal before sundown on the eve of this holy day. At the end of the meal, festival candles are blessed and the fast begins for all adults in the household. The family then goes to Temple for worship services at which Kol Nidre is chanted. While children under the age of 13 do not fast on Yom Kippur, meals for children should be spartan. Parents thereby introduce the notion of fasting while still providing proper nutrition. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, groups of families and friends gather for a light break-the-fast meal. Traditionally, this is a cold meal consisting primarily of dairy products and fish.
Community Matters 