On this Sunday evening, there begins a special and holy time for the Jews of Loudoun County and the world. At sundown Jews everywhere will gather together to observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with prayer, study, and a 24-hour fast. Yom Kippur comes just 10 days after the Jewish New Year, which was celebrated last Friday night and Saturday. The 10 days in between these High Holy Days, known as the 10 days of repentance, give Jews the opportunity to make amends and changes in order to enter the New Year with a clean slate and pure heart. Final atonement and forgiveness will be granted on Yom Kippur as we ask God to inscribe us in the Book of Life for the coming year.
The Blast of the RamÕs Horn, or Shofar, startles us to pay attention. Over the course of the High Holidays the Shofar will be sounded 100 times Ñ 100 opportunities for us to realize our place in the world. The sound calls us to wake up to the fact that we have an opportunity to begin anew.
Asking God for forgiveness during this season is the easy part; it is asking our family, friends, co-workers and ourselves for forgiveness that is often most difficult. The mantra used for asking forgiveness sounds something like, ÒIf I have done anything over the past year to offend, or upset you, or if I have wronged you in any way Ñ I am truly sorry and I ask that you forgive me.Ó This is the true spirit of Yom Kippur, we learn to forgive others and ourselves, and in the act of forgiving find peace and strength to grow and better ourselves and our world in the year ahead.