Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is Judaism’s Day of Atonement, observed with fasting, prayer, repentance, and communal worship. It concludes the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.

Teshuvah: The Jewish practice of repentance, involving recognition of wrongdoing, remorse, confession, and resolve to change. Its call to return and change gives Yom Kippur its central spiritual purpose.
Yom Kippur fasting: The traditional abstention from food and drink on Yom Kippur, from before sunset until nightfall the next day. Fasting is the day’s most visible bodily discipline and accompanies its prayers.
Ten Days of Repentance: The period from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, traditionally devoted to repentance and self-examination. Yom Kippur is the period’s culmination after days of reflection and return.
Tisha B'Av: A Jewish fast day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other calamities. Both involve fasting, but Tisha B’Av centers on mourning national catastrophe.
Ashkenazi Judaism: A major Jewish cultural tradition shaped by communities of Central and Eastern Europe and their descendants. Ashkenazi prayer melodies and customs shape Yom Kippur services in many communities.
Vidui: The Jewish practice of confession, often expressed through set prayers acknowledging sins. Communal confessions during the services make wrongdoing explicit and seek forgiveness.
Yom Kippur liturgy: The prayers and readings prescribed for Yom Kippur services in Jewish communities. Its services structure the day from the evening opening through the closing Neilah.
Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year, beginning the Ten Days of Repentance and marking the start of the Hebrew calendar year. It opens the period that Yom Kippur brings to its close.
Yom Kippur Katan: A minor Jewish observance held by some communities on the day before each new month. Its monthly penitential practice echoes Yom Kippur without sharing its status or scale.
Sephardi Judaism: A Jewish cultural tradition rooted in the Iberian Peninsula and communities descended from its Jews. Sephardi liturgy and customs offer a distinct expression of the same day’s observance.

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