Georgia Ross, who sat in front of her peers, guitar in hand, engaging the group at Mount Zion Temple in song and prayer. For some, Sept. 25 was just another day off of school. But for others, like Ross, Yom Kippur was a significant day of self-reflection.

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, holds great significance in the Jewish calendar. Occurring in the month of Tishrei, it marks the end of the Ten Days of Awe, a period of reflection beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Characterizing components of Yom Kippur include a 25-hour fast and special religious services.

Ross, a junior at SPA and a member of Mount Zion Temple in Saint Paul, stated that during services during the High Holy Days, adults will attend a service led by the rabbi downstairs, while those under 18 will attend a separate service upstairs. On Yom Kippur, such a service took place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., which Ross helped to lead for the first time.

“I got an email from our youth advisor Abby Gore asking me and [two] other girls if we would be willing to lead the service,” Ross said.

After dividing the songs and prayers amongst the three, Ross “…practiced the prayers and the songs that I would be singing, and then printed out the music and learned the guitar parts for all of it.”

Concerning the structure of the service, Ross noted that the services often start with some “common, well-known” synagogue songs, followed by time for meditation.

In some ways, the service was structured ordinarily. However, additional Yom Kippur prayers focused on repenting for sins and apologizing for being unable to live up to the “idealistic version for this past year.”

A constant interactive portion of the Yom Kippur service included having individuals read out loud to the group based on page number cards in their books. However, one key component of regular services was left out: “Because of the fasting — we obviously can’t eat from sundown to sundown — so there were no drinks or meals or anything like that,” Ross said.

She noted that what fasting looks like can fluctuate between people, but at Mount Zion, typically, food and water are not offered.
Ross urged those who do not practice Judaism: “Be respectful and more so mindful of your Jewish friends on this day because they are not eating, not drinking, and that is harder than it sounds.”

Having no school in recognition of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, is part of a larger conversation about how there are no days “off” for those who observe specific religious holidays and events.

The terminology around such days is, therefore, delicate. “Don’t point attention to a ‘long weekend,’ because for Jewish kids… it’s just a regular weekend with services all day on Monday,” Ross said.

Ross additionally noted that due to the reflective tone of Yom Kippur, one should not acknowledge it as a holiday but rather as a significant day for religious introspection.

Phrases such as “Happy Yom Kippur” are considered inappropriate. Instead, wish people” G’mar Chatima Tova,” which translates to “(wishing you) a good mark” or “T’som Khal,” which means “(wishing you) an easy fast.”

View live and archived recordings of Mount Zion Temple’s religious services here.