Our Yom Kippur Experience

For Yom Kippur this weekend, Andi and I went with the other OTZMA participants to Jerusalem to participate in several educational seminars before being given the holiday to observe as we saw fit. On Sunday, multiple guest speakers came to run workshops on the story of Jonah, the Yom Kippur War, “Torah Yoga” (you’ll have to ask Andi about that one), and other various topics.

For me, the most interesting seminar was called “Yom Kippur Anonymous” and was run by a former OTZMA education director. The session involved looking at both Alcoholics Anonymous and a similar recovery program called “SMART”, comparing and contrasting the programs, and then looking at Jewish texts and how they all related. The subject provoked a good deal of spirited debate about the importance of free will as opposed to being a part of a larger group, as well as recognizing when you have harmed another and need to seek forgiveness.

Following the day of seminars, we all walked to our hotel by Ben Jehuda Street, had our final meal (which ended up being about an hour and a half before the fast started…) and went on our ways. I went with about 15 other participants to services at Hebrew Union College, which is the training ground for future Reform rabbis. It was comforting being in this setting, which felt very much like services I was used to and even used some melodies I had only previously heard at Central Reform Congregation. It was also interesting to see how many people we all recognized, from faces we had met during our short time here to old friends we hadn’t seen in years.

Later that night, a small group of us decided to walk to the Kotel to see what it was like. Along the way, we were amazed at how deserted Jerusalem seemed – almost like a ghost town. The city completely shuts down during Yom Kippur, to the point that you can walk freely in the streets without fear that a car will come through the normally roads. Upon reaching the Western Wall, we were further surprised at how calm the scene was. While there were certainly a good number of people there, there was a sense of peace and tranquility settled over the area. By contrast, the city seemed to immediately spring to life the next night after the fast broke. We had grown so used to the quiet that I even had to remind my friends they could not walk in the street anymore!

Following the break-fast, we returned to our absorption center in Ashkelon to resume our ulpan (Hebrew classes) and volunteering. In fact, tomorrow night we are all headed to a local synagogue to help them build a sukkah in preparation for next week. I have always heard that Yom Kippur in Jerusalem was an experience to remember – and this day certainly followed through.