Yom Kippur inspired

Erev Yom Kippur (yesterday afternoon) I wrote this post.

I feel the need to write a follow-up to that post. I was somewhat upset that I didn’t feel very inspired leading up to Yom Kippur but I must say that in the end it was really a very beautiful holiday. Don’t get me wrong. I hate fasting. But it wasn’t a terrible fast. If we had to make a list of the coolest things about Israel, the fact that the country changes to the winter clocks before Yom Kippur so that the fast will come out an hour earlier, is definitely in that list. The fact we only changed our clocks one day before the fast, well, that’s not exactly the most logical thing since we all still felt like it was 7pm when the fast was over but still, the clocks said 6pm and that rocked.

Another one of the coolest things about Israel, is that Yom Kippur is such a quiet, quiet, quiet day. Amazing. I went for a walk with my little sister and niece (nine and 10 years old) after synagogue last night and they were, without a doubt, the loudest things on the street.

Everyone walks in the middle of the streets, even the main streets. It’s not that the streets are closed off. There is no rule. It’s seriously, if I may be so eloquent, the coolest. I only saw two cars go by over the whole 25 hours and they were both medical vans.

Today I went to a different shul than my parents because their synagogue is amazingly uninspiring. The place I went, Shir Chadash, was seriously beautiful davening! They hire professional Jewish-style popular – soulful, as my mom put it – singers to lead the prayers. So, besides the airconditioning that made me into a popsicle (not an icicle because I’m sweet) and the chairs that, well, my poor tushy, I’m so happy I went there at least for part of the davening.

And I do believe that the moment that Yom Kippur is over is by far the most wonderful moment of the year. There is a feeling of the tension being released after such an intense time. It’s such a happy time. Also, we have the longest time before one of the two major fasts comes around again (Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av) and it’s almost Sukkot!

So now we can say, chag sam’each! Happy Sukkot! Tonight we will be able to start hearing our neighbours build their sukkot. And in a day or two, Rachel and I will decorate ours! Yay!