Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of Atonement, starts at sundown on Tuesday, 22 of September and lasts until Wednesday evening. This day is marked by fasting and praying. “Yom Kippur” translates into “day of Atonement” as people pray to atone for the sins of the past year.
Every year, Yom Kippur is commemorated on the 10th day of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar. The synagogues have the largest attendance; people who don’t usually visit synagogs this is the time when they attend, fast and pray for forgiveness and confession. Yom Kippur atones sins only between a person and God, not the sins against another person.
Children under the age of nine and women in childbirth are not allowed to fast even if it is their will. Also, pregnant women and those with diseases may choose not fast by consulting doctor and Rabbi. Some schools and businesses may be closed in observance, but not all.
From all of us at Niagara Foundation, G’mar Chatimah Tovah.