Yom Kippur Greetings

[Renita Lukins]

YomKippur began at sundown on Sunday as Rosh Hashanah came to an end. The holiday continues through sundown on Monday. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, marks the end of the 10 days of repentance that begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Rosh Hashanah kicks off the Jewish New Year with celebration and self-reflection, but Yom Kippur adopts a more somber tone. The Day of Atonement is the most significant of all the Jewish holidays, and those observing the holiday do so by abstaining from food and drink during a one-day fasting period as they pray and seek forgiveness and a fresh start from God.

"Yom Kippur is a fast day when we ask [God] to forgive us and seal our fate for the coming year in the 'Book of Life.' As such, Jewish greetings for this time reflect our prayers for a good, sweet year up ahead," Rabbi Motti Seligson, director of public relations for Chabad.org, told Newsweek.

Usually, you don't wish somebody a "happy" or "merry" Yom Kippur given the sober tone, as those observing the holiday spend it reflecting and repenting. Instead, one could support the person observing Yom Kippur by wishing them a good, easy or meaningful fast.

They also can extend greetings in Hebrew. Wishing someone tzom kal translates to "easy fast", and g'mar chatima tovah translates to "good final sealing." The latter sentiment recognizes the Jewish belief that God seals one's fate for the year on the Day of Atonement, according to their behavior between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur observers spend the bulk of the holiday in a synagogue participating in five separate prayer services. Some observers also might abstain from using cell phones or other forms of technology.

Musaf, or the Yom Kippur Temple service, follows Shacharit. Then, the Minchah, or a reading from the Book of Jonah, is held. Neilah, the final service, occurs at sunset on Monday. Yom Kippur concludes with the blowing of the shofar, an ancient musical horn.

Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather but she also reports on other topics for the National News Team. She has covered climate change and natural disasters extensively. Anna joined Newsweek in 2022 from Current Publishing, a local weekly central Indiana newspaper where she worked as a managing editor. She was a 2021 finalist for the Indy's Best & Brightest award in the media, entertainment and sports category. You can get in touch with Anna by emailing a.sk...@newsweek.com. Languages: English.

As the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur approaches, many Jews offer greetings expressing the hope that people will have an easy fast, or that they will be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year. You might hear:

Happy Yom Kippur!... Well, you should not actually say this as the festival is not a "happy" holiday. In this article, we'll share the best traditional and unique greetings that non-Jews could respectfully send to their Jewish friends and colleagues during this special occasion.

For most festivals and holidays, you could wish people a happy or joyful time. However, when it comes to Yom Kippur, you should not say this as Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a solemn occasion for thinking and reflecting on sins that have been committed over the past year. It is not a time for happy celebrations but a time for repentance, seeking forgiveness, and making amends.

This is the most traditional wish for Yom Kippur and carries great importance in Jewish tradition. According to Jewish tradition, one's fate is determined on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur. That means those doing evil will not be sealed in the Book of Life and will have very bad luck in the following year. The wish expresses the hope that the individual is written in the Book of Life, signifying a year of blessings and protection.

This is one of the most popular wishes both for friends and colleagues during Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is an occasion for reflection and self-discipline, which involves abstaining from pleasurable activities. During this time, people fast for 25 hours, refraining from any food and drink. The phrase "Have an easy fast" serves as an encouraging and well-intentioned wish, expressing goodwill toward others enduring the fast.

Even if you're not Jewish, you may want to extend good wishes to your Jewish friends and colleagues who observe Yom Kippur. Below are some unique and meaningful expressions for you to use.

Jews believe that all of their sins will be forgiven and they will be blessed with good fortune for the following year through repentance. This wish refers to the meaningfulness of repentance, forgiveness, and blessings.

People seek inner peace and reflection during Yom Kippur. So, this phrase expresses the wish for a serene atmosphere that allows people to connect with their inner world and experience the grace of the divine.

This wish emphasizes the opportunity Yom Kippur brings for individuals to strengthen their relationship with God. Therefore, it is a good wish to send to your Jewish friends and colleagues who observe Yom Kippur hoping for personal spiritual improvement.

This saying focuses on forgiveness and purification. For Jews, Yom Kippur provides an opportunity for individuals to seek forgiveness from God and cleanse their souls. Therefore, it is a good wish for the festival.

For Jews, Yom Kippur offers a great chance for them to change their fate for the following year. By conveying this wish, you express your hope that your friends' and colleagues' fasting and prayers receive divine favor, leading to a year of goodness and prosperity.

Yom Kippur is a time for healing and reconciliation. By offering this wish, you express your hope that the blessings of this holy day bring healing to present relationships, forgiveness for past mistakes, and a better future for the observer and all who are dear to him/her.

Yom Kippur is a time of spiritual connection through prayer with the One who Jews worship as Creator and Redeemer. By expressing this wish, you convey the hope that your Jewish friend/colleague/acquaintance has a successful experience on a spiritual level during Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur 2024 will take place on Friday, October 11th at sundown. Choose some meaningful wishes to send to your Jewish friends and colleagues. They will truly appreciate your understanding of their culture.

Yom Kippur is the High Holy "Day of Atonement," the holiest day of the Jewish year, and a day of somber reflection. Knowing how to greet your Jewish friends and associates during Yom Kippur properly shows you care and can also help you avoid using inappropriate Yom Kippur greetings.

The Days of Awe include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the days between. On Rosh Hashanah, God inscribes a person's fate in "The Book of Life," and a time of renewal begins when God suspends judgment. Individuals have ten days to change their fate, but on Yom Kippur, fates are sealed.

Yom Kippur is always celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Tishrei on the Jewish lunisolar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar, Yom Kippur falls sometime in September or October. Yom Kippur is a day of fasting from food, bathing, physical contact, and work. Most observant Jews spend the day in synagogue services, confessing and praying for forgiveness for their past year's sins.

Even if you're not Jewish, it's considerate and respectful to share well wishes to your Jewish friends and colleagues on Yom Kippur. Just remember that Yom Kipper isn't a day of celebration; it's a solemn and pensive day. Greeting like "Merry Yom Kippur!" and "Happy Yom Kippur!" are not appropriate. However, if the Hebrew greetings above have you stumbling on your words, you can use the English translations, or you could simply say or write.

On the Gregorian calendar, Yom Kipper does not fall on the same day each year, so make sure you have the correct date. Additionally, many observers of Yom Kippur do not use technology during the holiday. So, if you want to share a virtual greeting, send it before Yom Kippur or after the fast has been broken.

Yom Kippur isn't a day of sadness. Jewish people aren't mourning their past missteps; they're facing up to them and sincerely repenting so they can start the following year with a clean slate. Jewish people have faith that their sins have been forgiven, so Yom Kippur ends on a high. Still, you should keep in mind the solemn, contemplative nature of the day and make your Yom Kippur greetings warm and sincere. If you're still unsure of how your Jewish friends and associates prefer to be greeted on Yom Kippur, just ask!

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year and is the culmination of the High Holy Days. In 2024, the observance of Yom Kippur starts at sunset on October 11 and concludes on the evening of October 12. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the High Holy Days, begins at sunset on October 2, and spans two days, concluding at sunset on October 4.

In Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur marks the final opportunity to repent before God before the Book of Life is sealed for another year. Use our resources below to learn more about this biblically-mandated observance.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is observed on the tenth day of the month of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar, which falls in September or October on the Gregorian calendar (the calendar in common use throughout the world).

This day marks the culmination of the High Holy Days or Ten Days of Repentance, which began ten days earlier with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur offers Jews the final opportunity of the holy season to repent of their sins.

From the evening of the holiday until sundown the following day (except for the few hours when they go home to sleep), Jews are in the synagogue beseeching God for forgiveness and reflecting upon the course of their lives. An entirely different synagogue liturgy is used every year only on this day.

3a8082e126