Israel Observes Yom Kippur

Friday, October 03, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff

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Israelis and Jews around the world are observing Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, which began at sundown Friday.

Israel completely shuts down on Yom Kippur. Traffic comes to a halt, radio and TV broadcasts go off the air, the airport and businesses are closed.

Many Israelis spend the holiday in synagogues, while others simply rest or go for walks and bicycle rides on the empty roads.

As usual, security is tight. Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip have been sealed off amid fears that Palestinian terrorists will exploit the holiday to attack Jewish worshippers gathered at public venues in greater than usual numbers.

PHOTO: Israeli President Reuven Reuven Rivlin, praying for "Selichot" at the presidential residence synagogue in Jerusalem. "Selichot" is the prayer for forgiveness typically recited before dawn in the lead-up to the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur high holy days. Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/FLASH90

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