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Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement. It is the most sacred and solemn day in the Jewish calendar.

Atonement means to put things right. That day is about people putting things right with God through prayers and sacrifice.

Yom Kippur is a day to reflect on the past year and ask God's forgiveness for any sins. Instead of work or school, many Jews attend the synagogue where they pray throughout the day. They break their fast in the evenings.

Yom Kippur is celebrated in September or October in the UK. In 2024 Yom Kippur will begin in the evening of Friday 11 October.

Yom Kippur is ten days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the world.

What is the story of Yom Kippur?

• When the Israelites escaped from slavery and left Egypt, they went to Mount Sinai. Moses climbed to the top of the mountain and God gave him two tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments carved on them.
• The first commandment told people that they should not worship anyone other than God. However, when Moses went down the mountain, he found the Israelites worshipping a golden calf.
• Moses was so angry that he threw the sacred carved stone tablets on the floor and they shattered. The Israelites then atoned for their wrongdoing. God forgave them and gave Moses a second set of stone tablets.

The Days of Awe

The ten days between the Jewish New Year called 'Rosh Hashanah', and Yom Kippur are called The Days of Repentance or Days of Awe. During these days, many Jews think about everything they have done in the past year. If they've done something wrong, they can try to put it right, ask God's forgiveness, and promise not to do it again. Many Jews also give money to charity.

The Day of Yom Kippur

Many Jews mark the day of Yom Kippur by fasting (going without food) for 25 hours. They fast from sunset the day before to sunset on the evening of that day.

They also wear white and they don't wear make-up, perfume, or leather shoes. The most important part of Yom Kippur is the time spent in the synagogue. Even Jews who do not go to the synagogue very much will go on Yom Kippur. The day is spent in continuous prayer.

Click on the items in the image to learn about how Jewish people use them to mark Yom Kippur.

Have a look at the thinking points below. You can discuss them with somebody else if you want to. There are no right or wrong answers so remember to be respectful if somebody else has a different thought or opinion.

1. Think about the last year. Is there anything you have done that you might want to be forgiven for? You can keep this thought private if you want to.
2. Yom Kippur is a time for reflection. Why do you think it is good to reflect back and think about your behaviour and decisions?
3. Why is it important to apologise when you have done something wrong?
4. Why do you think Jewish people give money to charity during Yom Kippur?
5. Do you think you should have to forgive somebody if they ask you for forgiveness?