The Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the Jewish year. Occurring on the tenth of Tishrei, Yom Kippur is a solemn 25-hour fast during which Jews seek forgiveness for sins committed against God, confront their own moral failures, and pray for a place in the Book of Life. It is a day unlike any other in Jewish observance.
For one day the world falls away, no food, no distraction, only the soul standing before its Maker.
Jewish tradition holds that Yom Kippur is the day Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets, signifying divine forgiveness after the sin of the Golden Calf. The day represents humanity's capacity for renewal and the mercy of God. The Kol Nidre prayer, chanted on the eve of Yom Kippur, is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in Jewish liturgy, a legal annulment of unfulfilled vows that carries centuries of Jewish history, including echoes of forced conversions and religious persecution. Yom Kippur is the culmination of the ten Days of Awe, during which God seals the fate of every human being.
The 25-hour fast begins before sundown and ends after nightfall the following day, abstaining from food, water, leather shoes, bathing, cosmetics, and marital relations. The Kol Nidre service on the eve of Yom Kippur is one of the most attended services in Jewish life. Services include the Vidui (confessional prayer), Yizkor (memorial service for the deceased), and the dramatic Neilah closing service as the gates of heaven are said to close. Many Jews wear white, symbolizing purity and, in some traditions, the burial shroud, a reminder of mortality. The fast ends with the final blast of the shofar.
G'mar Chatimah Tovah, May you be sealed for a good year
Before the fast, people say "G'mar chatima tova" "may you be sealed [in the Book of Life] for good." To someone fasting, "Have an easy fast" (or "Tzom kal") is the warm, common wish. Avoid "Happy Yom Kippur" it is a solemn day.
“This shall be a statute for you forever: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”Leviticus 16:29-30
Yom Kippur 2026 begins at sundown on Sunday, September 20 and ends at nightfall on Monday, September 21.
Before the day, "G'mar chatima tova" ("may you be sealed for good"). To someone fasting, "Have an easy fast" is kind and common. It is a solemn day, so festive greetings are set aside.
About 25 hours, from just before sundown until nightfall the next night. Those for whom fasting would be dangerous are exempt.
The prayer that opens Yom Kippur, releasing vows made rashly to God. Its melody carries centuries of Jewish history and is among the most emotional in the liturgy.
White symbolizes purity and forgiveness, and for some the burial shroud, a reminder that life is finite and the day's work of repentance is urgent.
Sundown, Sun Sep 20 – nightfall, Mon Sep 21, 2026
Yom Kippur begins at sundown with the Kol Nidre service and ends about 25 hours later at nightfall the next day, when the final shofar blast releases the fast.
G'mar Chatimah Tovah, May you be sealed for a good year