Yom Kippur to begin at sundown Tuesday

The Times notes: “The badge, which has been used in various forms to discriminate against Jews since the Middle Ages, was used by Nazis in Germany to isolate Jewish people from the rest of society”.

Chicago Tribune blogger Carrie Goldman said: “The Star marked Jews as different, as Other, as lesser”.

Beginning tonight and continuing through Wednesday night, the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, will be observed by Jews throughout the world.

On Yom Kippur, Jews are asked to not eat or drink, have sex, clean or anoint their bodies, or wear leather shoes, because these are the desires of the physical body.

The Shalom Center, a Philadelphia-based Jewish community, organized a Yom Kippur service at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, to bring attention to the issue of the environment.

He wrote on Twitter: Holy c**p, this is your stock photo for a Jewish holiday??

Memo to those who plan on embarking on the fast starting Tuesday at sunset-probably not a great idea to actually have your tantalizing breakfast sandwich sitting right there next to you while you’re complaining about being hungry.

Yom Kippur is the next holiday on the calendar.

Yom Kippur services begin with the Kol Nidre, an ancient prayer that literally means “all vows” or “all promises”.

“It’s nice to be together”, she said. May this year’s coincidence of Eid al-Adha and Yom Kippur spur each of us to do cheshbon nefesh – to examine our behavior so that we can change for the better. The lay leader – an unordained leader of the congregation – said the practicing Jewish community in Watertown is fairly small, but sermons do sometimes still attract people to the congregation’s old synagogue on Prospect Street. We have choices, but ultimately we are all seeking that place that feels like we too can be a part of something more powerful that gives us hope.

“At the same time there’s an undercurrent of joy in the holiday because it’s a joyous occasion that our God will forgive us”, Gold added.