Yom Kippur holiest of days on Jewish calendar

Its observers abstain from food, sex, baths and wearing leather for 26 hours, casting away distractions that may cloud their mission: Getting closer to God.

Jews will celebrate Yom Kippur on Wednesday and Thursday this year.

Taking place 10 days after the start of Rosh Hashanah, the start of the new Jewish year, "Yom Kippur is the holiest of days on the Jewish calendar," said Kim Gonzalez, teen director and Jewish educator at the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham.

The holiday is both somber and joyful, a bittersweet reflection on one's good and bad deeds in the past year. Its Hebrew meaning, "day of atonement," is taken literally - from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah until the start of Yom Kippur is a 10-day period of self examination, forgiveness and releasing grudges.

"It's very somber because basically you're asking forgiveness against other people and sins against God," Gonzalez said.

"I guess you could describe Judaism as a way of living, and when you get off that path, you have to get back on. You ask forgiveness," said Stanley Goldstein, a member of Temple B'nai Israel in

Florence.

If you ask forgiveness twice and are refused, your forgiveness is in God's hands. The idea is to ask forgiveness from God first before you ask forgiveness from a person.

Charity, "Tzedekah" in Hebrew, is another part of forgiveness. Though Tzedekah is a personal choice, many synagogues give collectively.

Five themed prayer services are held during the 26 hours; candles are lit for loved ones who passed away in the last year.

It is the role of females in the household to light candles.

"In creating light, it's symbolic in bringing order out of darkness. That's something that traditionally had been a woman's role, to keep order in the household. When you walk into a Jewish home, the woman is the boss," Goldstein said.

Kids, babies and the sick do not fast but "they are taught the importance," Gonzales said.

Yom Kippur concludes fasting with a celebration feast.

Among the food usually served is honey cake, which symbolizes the sweetness of life. Since much of the Jewish holidays follow ancient agricultural calendars, holidays include in-season fruits and vegetables such as apples.

The holiday prompts interest from non-Jews, too.

The Levite Jewish Community Center educates its non-Jewish members with Jewish education guides about 20 pages thick, explaining kosher laws and traditions such as lighting Shabbat candles on the Jewish sabbath. The guides tend to go quickly.

"They go so fast because I think a large portion of our members are not Jewish," Gonzalez said.

The Web site chabad.org, which employee Rabbi Motti Seligson describes as a "high-holiday super site" provides detailed holiday histories, recipes, interactive video and frequently asked

questions.

"People are interested," Seligson said.

"On the Web site, there is an ask the rabbi service. All kinds of people come from a broad spectrum."

Sukkot, celebration of thanksgiving, is the next Jewish holiday before

Hanukkah.

It will take place Oct. 14-19.

Jennifer Crossley can be reached at 740-5743 or jennifer.crossley@timesdaily.com.