Yom Kippur, a solemn day known as the Day of Atonement, begins tonight when the sun sets. It is a day of prayer, fasting and no luxuries and services are being held throughout Scarsdale and the Hudson Valley.
“Yom Kippur it’s more than just being a holiday it’s really a day where it’s a solemn day,” said Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham of Congregation Sons of Israel. “It’s the day of atonement. We’re supposed to be atoning for all of our sins."
People do not wear leather such as leather shoes and often dress in white. The rabbi will wear a white robe known as a “kittel.”
“We’re supposed to be dressed in white because it’s this idea that we’re almost dressed as if we’re a pure state as if it is the day we’re going to die,” he said.
Much of the day is spent in prayer and reflection. It is the time when Jews focus on what they have done right and what they have done wrong during the year. The fast, which lasts about 25 and a half hours serves the purpose of making people weak so that they are at God’s mercy.
The fast ends on Wednesday, September 26, when it is completely dark. Then the past is considered over with and it is time for a new start.
