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Synagogues, Congregants Prepare For Yom Kippur In New Canaan

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — The Jewish community is preparing to observe Yom Kippur, the most holy day of the Jewish year.

Rabbi Jay TelRav at Stamford's Temple Sinai, stands in the atrium, as he prepares for Yom Kippur.

Rabbi Jay TelRav at Stamford's Temple Sinai, stands in the atrium, as he prepares for Yom Kippur.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

On the holiday, known as The Day of Atonement, members of the Jewish faith seek forgiveness for transgressions against others, whether committed deliberately or accidentally.

"Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year," said Rabbi Vicki Axe of Congregation Shir Ami in Greenwich. "We all face challenges and triumphs, some simple, some monumental, and Yom Kippur offers an opportunity to consider how we meet the challenges, as well as the triumphs, all with our eye on the Divinely inspired mandate to make the world a better place for all people."

The holiday begins at sundown Tuesday. Congregants will gather in synagogues across the county — and the world — for traditional Kol Nidre services Tuesday night.

Yom Kippur continues with traditional morning and afternoon services Wednesday.

Those celebrating the holiday often fast from Tuesday evening though sundown Wednesday. Many conclude the holiday with traditional meal Wednesday evening, when congregants gather with friends and family.

Rabbi Rachel Bearman of Temple B'nai Chaim in Georgetown previously told the Daily Voice that the high holidays allow her congregants to take a step back from their daily lives and reflect.

“The High Holy Days are a time of renewal and self-reflection,” Bearman said. “I look forward to these holidays because they provide a rare opportunity for all of us to step outside of our busy schedules and to spend time thinking about the most important aspects of our lives — our families, our ethics, and our beliefs.”

Yom Kippur ends the Jewish high holidays — the most holy days of the Jewish year — that began with Rosh Hashanah. Known as the Jewish New Year, those of the Jewish faith celebrated the holiday Sept. 13 through Sept. 15.

Jewish celebrations will continue a few weeks after the High Holidays with Sukkot, the fall harvest festival, which begins Sept. 27. 

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