The most sacred Jewish holiday of the year began at 6:45 Wednesday evening and will continue until sundown Thurday.

Yom Kippur, which translates to "day of atonement," culminates the tenth day of Tishri and is a time when those of the Jewish faith fast and pray for forgiveness of the wrongs and sins committed during the past spiritual year.

Wednesday night, Jewish people gathered in synagogues to recite the most solemn prayer in Judaism, the Kol Nidre, before sunset. The Kol Nidre opened the services and means "all vows."

Rabbi Steve Kirschner, executive director of the Hillel Foundation, 494 Elm Ave., at OU, described Yom Kippur as the holiest day for Jewish people.

"Yom Kippur is a time of year when people evaluate who and where they are," Kirschner said. "It is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the day with the most spiritual and religious significance."

He said the ten days of Tishri start with Rosh Hashana, the spiritual new year, and the first two days of the "ten days of repentance."

"The month of Tishri is not the beginning of the new year; it is the beginning of the new year, spiritually," Kirschner said. "The whole period of 10 days is a time for spiritual reflection."

Kirschner said the difference between Judaism and Christianity can be witnessed at this time.

"Judaism believes people can attain atonement for their own sins," Kirschner said. In Christianity, it is believed that the forgiveness of sins comes through Jesus Christ.

Aaron Friedman, psychology sophomore, said he always observes Yom Kippur and planned to attend services the night before and the entire day of the holiday.

"I think it's a time to reflect on the year and think about what you've done wrong," Friedman said.

Yom Kippur is a time of observance and a time to repent. Friedman said he fasts for the 25 hours out of respect for tradition, duty and his desire to do so.

"I wouldn't feel right not doing it," Friedman said.

Brad Sanditen, finance senior, has also been attending Yom Kippur services annually his entire life.

"As a kid, I didn't really know the meaning. I went because I was told to go," Sanditen said. "They had youth services away from the adult services to teach you what it was about."

Sanditen said he was well-integrated within the Jewish community where he grew up, but that it was still strange sometimes trying to explain the highest holiday in his faith to those who didn't understand.

"When I was younger, all the kids thought it wasn't fair that I got to miss school," Sanditen said.

Sanditen said since coming to OU, he has felt even more comfortable about his faith and the observance of holidays and more entwined in the Jewish community. Last year, Sanditen helped re-start the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi.

"It's almost better in college," Sanditen said. "OU is very good about it. If I had to miss class for services, my professors would understand."

"If I didn't want to go, I wouldn't do it," Sanditen said. "It's the holiest day of the year. I don't feel like it's an obligation."

Sanditen said the services offer a feeling of new beginnings and of a clean slate with God, but he doesn't necessarily set goals for how to conduct his life in the new year during Yom Kippur.
hello there & you too