Israel Slows Down to Mark Holiest Day

JERUSALEM —  As night fell Sunday, Jews throughout Israel marked the start of their holiest day, Yom Kippur, with fasting and prayers of penitence.

Traffic on the nation’s highways and streets came to a halt, commercial flights were suspended and the border with Egypt and bridges to Jordan were closed.

State-run Israel Radio and Television and Army Radio ceased broadcasts, leaving the country without communications for the solemn holiday, which ends at sundown today.

Although most Israelis are secular, Yom Kippur is widely observed, and many flock to the nation’s almost 8,000 synagogues for prayer services. It is traditional for Jews to refrain from taking food and water during the 24-hour holiday.

Jews beg God for forgiveness and pray for life and peace during Yom Kippur, also known as the “Day of Atonement.”

Israeli families often take advantage of the quiet by walking down major roadways to synagogues. In past years, cars that ventured out on Israeli streets were sometimes stoned by religious zealots. Appeals were broadcast on the radio to allow ambulances to pass freely.

Tens of thousands of Jews traditionally gather at the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site. The wall is the last remnant of the temple destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. Many Jews spend the entire 24-hour fast day praying at the site.

Yom Kippur ends the 10 “Days of Awe” that begin on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Jews believe that during the period, God decides each person’s destiny over the next year.

This Yom Kippur marks the 16th anniversary of the 1973 Middle East War, which began when Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Fierce battles were fought on the Golan Heights and in the Sinai desert, and Arab armies briefly threatened to invade Israel itself.

Families Visit Graves

Every year at this time, bereaved families lay wreaths and flowers at the gravesites of the almost 3,000 Israeli troops who fell in the war.

In a special broadcast to the nation, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir paid tribute to those who fell.