Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day
of the year for the people of Israel. 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 the Hebrew Bible
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, HaShem 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, We seek to amend our behavior and seek forgiveness for
wrongs done against G-d (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). Between Rosh HaShanah and Yom
Kippur are ten days, known as the