What is the traditional greeting on Yom Kippur among Hebrew-speaking Jews?
Jews in the Southland and around the world today are marking Yom Kippur, the holiest and most somber day on the Jewish calendar. On Yom Kippur, which began at sundown Sunday and ends at sundown tonight, Jews are to examine their lives and relationships, ask God for forgiveness for the sins they may have committed over the past year, and, in turn, forgive others. The holiday ends a 10-day period that began with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. “This period is a time of thoughtful introspection, soul searching, examining our deeds over the past year and resolving to do better in the new year,” Rabbi Mark S. Diamond, the executive vice president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, told City News Service. Many Jews fast on Yom Kippur and spend much of the time in synagogues. According to the Old Testament, Yom Kippur is the day on which Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the second set of Commandment tablets and announced God’s pardon to people for worshipping a golden calf.
Yom Kippur Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a solemn fast day. We pray for forgiveness from God, repent sincerely for our sins during the past year, and bring tz’dakah (charitable expressions of righteousness) to the Temple. The appropriate greeting for Yom Kippur is g’mar chatimah tovah, “May you be sealed for a good year in the Book of Life.” Families gather for a plentiful if simple meal before sundown on the eve of this holy day. At the end of the meal, festival candles are blessed and the fast begins for all adults in the household. The family then goes to Temple for worship services at which Kol Nidre is chanted. While children under the age of 13 do not fast on Yom Kippur, meals for children should be spartan. Parents thereby introduce the notion of fasting while still providing proper nutrition. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, groups of families and friends gather for a light break-the-fast meal. Traditionally, this is a cold meal consisting primarily of dairy products an
