Yom Kippur is a day of communal and personal atonement for sins committed during the year. According to tradition, God decides each person’s fate, on Yom Kippur, so Jewish people are encouraged to ask for forgiveness.
“This holiday allows one to take a look at what they actually have,” Saldana said. “We take things, such as food, for granted until we force ourselves to do without it. People can hurt others and not even think about the effects or state they’ve left someone else in. It’s honestly just a day to better yourself in my opinion.”
Fasting, prayer and repentance are the central components to the 25-hour holiday. The holiday is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service which begins at sundown on Sept. 29 and ends at nightfall on Sept. 30.
For Senior Jayden Saldana, fasting is seen as fulfilling a biblical commandment which enables the people to put aside physical desires and concentrate on spiritual needs through prayer.
As a result, fasting is vital to Saldana’s Yom Kippur celebration.
His first fast was when he was a sophomore and will never forget that day because of how different it was to participate in the holiday rather than observe what peers do.
Because she is not very religious, English teacher Ms. Kendra Miller does not always celebrate the High Holy days. However, one year during college, Ms. Miller spent Yom Kippur with her family in New Jersey.
It was one of two years in which Ms. Miller fasted during the Jewish holiday.
“I actually like the tradition of visiting the cemetery between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because it is a way to pay respect to those who have passed,” Ms. Miller said. “However, breaking the fast together was a true celebration of family and friends that I will always remember.”
For Math teacher Mr. Hank Bailey, Yom Kippur is a holiday that became a part of his life when he married his wife.
His favorite part about going to church during the Jewish holiday is that people tend to stay around instead of leaving right away.
“The special thing about Yom Kippur is the sociability, you talk to other people for the congregation and trade experiences,” Mr. Bailey said. “There was a lot of support from people and I remember going to a service with my wife feeling very comfortable with a religion that I was not brought up in.”
Yom Kippur is a day for all people to reflect on their past year.
Every year, Yom Kippur is on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is nine days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah.
This year, Yom Kippur will begin on Sept. 29 and end on Sept. 30.
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