Yom Kippur begins today

At around noon EST, the highest holy holiday in Israel begins, Yom Kippur.

“Also known as Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora’im (“Days of Awe”).

“Yom Kippur is the tenth day of the month of Tishrei. According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person’s fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of Life, on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to “seal” the verdict. During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God (bein adam leMakom) and against other human beings (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one hopes that they have been forgiven by God.”

Source- Wikipedia.

Further Resources:

Judaism 101: Yom Kippur
Jewish Virtual Library: Yom Kippur’s importance

News for Yom Kippur:

Yom Kippur: 64% fast, 46% pray
“Public consensus over Day of Atonement continues: Even those who don’t mark day in traditional manner devote it to ‘quality time’ with themselves or their family; only 0.5% of Israelis plan to travel”

Opinion piece: Jerusalem Post: “Time for Atonement“

Gnosticism infiltrating the highest holy day for Jews, too:

Manayunk congregation’s Yom Kippur service will take a nontraditional, meditational turn

I feel the Yom Kippur holy day is a time for high alert. Remember, 39 years ago, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on this holiday. Be in prayer for the Jewish people, and the lost Muslims too…