Yom Kippur is Over and I'm No Longer Hungry
Just a few hours ago, Jen and I left the synagogue after Yom Kippur services. A day of services and 26 hours of fasting (including no water, no toothbrushing, no bathing, no leather shoes, and something else, I can't remember) came to an end.
We were at synagogue last night from the beginning of the fast at 4:45 p.m. until about 7:30 p.m. and then again this morning from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:15 until 6:15 p.m. That's 11.25 hours of services!
Last week, when we went to the Old City, I bought myself a brand-new all-white tallit to wear for the first time on Yom Kippur because it's traditional to wear white on Yom Kippur. I also had the opportunity to wear my white kittel through the streets while walking from home to shul and back and back and back.
At our 2 o'clock break today, I was really hungry and we came home to relax for a few minutes and we probably wouldn't have run back immediately at 3:15 except I had the honor of lifting the Torah (known as "hagba" and Jen had the honor of dressing the Torah), which is not easy because the Torah is quite heavy to begin with and I had not eaten in nearly 24 hours prior to the lifting. Dropping the Torah is not good because everyone has to fast for 40 days if they're in the room when it's dropped and I doubt anyone would’ve liked that.
The 11.25 hours of services was also exceptionally difficult because it was almost entirely in Hebrew so after 10.25 of hours my brain really started hurting, I was trying so hard to pay attention to every word and read as much as possible but my reading ability is not quite up to par. So, the last hour for me was difficult - I was starving, thirsty, tired, and tired of Hebrew. However, the 10.25 hours prior to that were fantastic and exceptionally moving. It was everything a Yom Kippur should be about.
We had front-row seats, which was particularly stressful because we had the "lead" on leading the congregation in standing and sitting. Us front-rowers had to take subtle cues from the rabbi as to what to do. Once, I was slow on the job and the rabbi had to go "psst!" to get my peers and I to stand up.
But, even though most Israelis are secular and non-religious at all, they honor the High Holidays and the streets are almost entirely empty of cars - Jen and I walked to synagogue and home in the street that is normally full of traffic. It's so surreal, I wish I could've taken photos but since it's a holiday, I couldn't take pictures. The entire city becomes a playground for secular Israelis and children take over the streets, bicycling anywhere they want.
Traffic lights are turned off on Yom Kippur and the only vehicles you see are ambulances (for all the Jews passing out from hunger) and police cars. There's also the occasional renegade driving Israeli, but they're cautious and careful as they drive among pedestrian-filled streets. It’s just an incredible sight!
The fast officially started at 4:49 p.m. on Sunday here in Jerusalem. We invited a few friends (including Eve) over for a pre-fast meal. We’d read that a little protein and a lot of carbs was what one should eat prior to the fast so we served up spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread. I knew that it was important to avoid caffeine before a fast if one has a caffeine addiction such as myself but I only stopped drinking cola the day before so I think that was a significant factor in my intense headache for the last hour of services. Drinking lots of water is important prior to a fast and I did well with that but it also means lots of bathroom trips during services.
Absolutely everything shuts down in Israel during Yom Kippur. The international airport closed at 1 p.m. yesterday, television and radio isn’t broadcast, the online news sources don’t update, and every single store was closed. On a typical Shabbat stores are closed but people are still driving in the streets and the airport is in operation but not today – we had an amazingly quiet night last night since there were no cars on the road, there was also no honking.
The Jerusalem Post just posted an article about the Magen David Adom’s (Israel’s Red Cross Society) response to medical emergencies on Yom Kippur – 65 people passed out due to the fast and, unfortunately, 195 children were injured on bicycles, skates, rollerblades and skateboard and needed first aid. I felt like I was going to be one of those 65 during the last hour but I made it.
Fortunately, our synagogue has fruit drinks and baked goods available immediately after Yom Kippur was over. The rabbi as hilarious at the very end of Yom Kippur – he ended Yom Kippur by drinking grape juice in front of everyone and he said, "Mmmmmm. Tastes good!" It was torture since we had to wait another two minutes before we could imbibe.
In all, experiencing the High Holidays here in Jerusalem was fantastic. We loved spending them with our new friends here who we’ve become very close to as we’re all so very far from home, it makes the holidays a bit more bearable.
UPDATE: I discovered that Israeli blogger Lisa Goldman has linked to some collections of photos of empty streets in Tel Aviv. Check them out!
We were at synagogue last night from the beginning of the fast at 4:45 p.m. until about 7:30 p.m. and then again this morning from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:15 until 6:15 p.m. That's 11.25 hours of services!
Last week, when we went to the Old City, I bought myself a brand-new all-white tallit to wear for the first time on Yom Kippur because it's traditional to wear white on Yom Kippur. I also had the opportunity to wear my white kittel through the streets while walking from home to shul and back and back and back.
At our 2 o'clock break today, I was really hungry and we came home to relax for a few minutes and we probably wouldn't have run back immediately at 3:15 except I had the honor of lifting the Torah (known as "hagba" and Jen had the honor of dressing the Torah), which is not easy because the Torah is quite heavy to begin with and I had not eaten in nearly 24 hours prior to the lifting. Dropping the Torah is not good because everyone has to fast for 40 days if they're in the room when it's dropped and I doubt anyone would’ve liked that.
The 11.25 hours of services was also exceptionally difficult because it was almost entirely in Hebrew so after 10.25 of hours my brain really started hurting, I was trying so hard to pay attention to every word and read as much as possible but my reading ability is not quite up to par. So, the last hour for me was difficult - I was starving, thirsty, tired, and tired of Hebrew. However, the 10.25 hours prior to that were fantastic and exceptionally moving. It was everything a Yom Kippur should be about.
We had front-row seats, which was particularly stressful because we had the "lead" on leading the congregation in standing and sitting. Us front-rowers had to take subtle cues from the rabbi as to what to do. Once, I was slow on the job and the rabbi had to go "psst!" to get my peers and I to stand up.
But, even though most Israelis are secular and non-religious at all, they honor the High Holidays and the streets are almost entirely empty of cars - Jen and I walked to synagogue and home in the street that is normally full of traffic. It's so surreal, I wish I could've taken photos but since it's a holiday, I couldn't take pictures. The entire city becomes a playground for secular Israelis and children take over the streets, bicycling anywhere they want.
Traffic lights are turned off on Yom Kippur and the only vehicles you see are ambulances (for all the Jews passing out from hunger) and police cars. There's also the occasional renegade driving Israeli, but they're cautious and careful as they drive among pedestrian-filled streets. It’s just an incredible sight!
The fast officially started at 4:49 p.m. on Sunday here in Jerusalem. We invited a few friends (including Eve) over for a pre-fast meal. We’d read that a little protein and a lot of carbs was what one should eat prior to the fast so we served up spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and garlic bread. I knew that it was important to avoid caffeine before a fast if one has a caffeine addiction such as myself but I only stopped drinking cola the day before so I think that was a significant factor in my intense headache for the last hour of services. Drinking lots of water is important prior to a fast and I did well with that but it also means lots of bathroom trips during services.
Absolutely everything shuts down in Israel during Yom Kippur. The international airport closed at 1 p.m. yesterday, television and radio isn’t broadcast, the online news sources don’t update, and every single store was closed. On a typical Shabbat stores are closed but people are still driving in the streets and the airport is in operation but not today – we had an amazingly quiet night last night since there were no cars on the road, there was also no honking.
The Jerusalem Post just posted an article about the Magen David Adom’s (Israel’s Red Cross Society) response to medical emergencies on Yom Kippur – 65 people passed out due to the fast and, unfortunately, 195 children were injured on bicycles, skates, rollerblades and skateboard and needed first aid. I felt like I was going to be one of those 65 during the last hour but I made it.
Fortunately, our synagogue has fruit drinks and baked goods available immediately after Yom Kippur was over. The rabbi as hilarious at the very end of Yom Kippur – he ended Yom Kippur by drinking grape juice in front of everyone and he said, "Mmmmmm. Tastes good!" It was torture since we had to wait another two minutes before we could imbibe.
In all, experiencing the High Holidays here in Jerusalem was fantastic. We loved spending them with our new friends here who we’ve become very close to as we’re all so very far from home, it makes the holidays a bit more bearable.
UPDATE: I discovered that Israeli blogger Lisa Goldman has linked to some collections of photos of empty streets in Tel Aviv. Check them out!
posted by Matt | 12:12 PM
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