Devout Jews Fasting for Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, is being observed by the devout, who began fasting at sundown Sunday and will continue their fast until sundown this evening.

“For 24 hours, it’s little to ask,” Jack Stein of Westlake Village said. “It clears your mind and your body for a higher spiritual plane. It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.”

Yom Kippur ends a 10-day period of repentance during which Jews ask God and others for forgiveness for transgressions they’ve committed in the past year.

Jews don’t eat or drink on Yom Kippur and spend part of the day in synagogue because they are supposed to focus exclusively on the deity and on that which nourishes faith and spirituality, according to Rabbi Gershon Johnson of Temple Beth Chaverim in Agoura Hills.

“It’s considered the Sabbath of Sabbaths,” Johnson said. “It’s the one day during the year where we are totally involved in our spiritual side and we put aside our physical needs.”

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which ran from Sept. 10 to 12, is the yearly spiritual wake-up call for Jews to begin repenting for their sins, the rabbi said. In preparing for their new year, Jewish people “need to be forgiven for their misdeeds of the past year” so they can start with a clean slate, Johnson said.

Before the fast, Jews traditionally gather for a festive meal, which often includes a rounded challah bread with raisins, Johnson said.

The raisins symbolize Jews’ hopes for good things in the upcoming year, while the rounded breads remind them of the cycle of life.