Times of Israel Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – begins this
Friday evening. Many people know Jews don’t eat or drink for 25 hours
(sundown to sundown) but few know what actually happens on Yom Kippur in
modern, non-religious, Israel.
When I arrived, just over four years ago, Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv took me by complete surprise.
Practically all cars and motor transport will
stop. Just not go anywhere. Almost no planes, trains or automobiles will
move until Saturday night. [...]
From sundown to sundown the streets are full
of people strolling or cycling; on suburban streets or along 10 lane
highways, the only thing you have to watch out for are kids on speeding
bicycles. Non observant people figure out how, for just one day a year,
not to drive except for dire emergencies.
I will allow my 4 year old child to pedal furiously down a 6 lane divided highway in whichever direction he prefers. [...]
So why is being Jewish so different when you’re in Israel? There has
never, in my recollection, been a Jew outside of Israel who’s publicly
got upset by anyone eating, even in front of him, on Yom Kippur.
Jews have never, and will never, ask you to
stop driving for a day in your country. It just won’t happen. Even in
our own country this isn’t a law, it’s just something the vast majority
of Jews want to do because, over here, in Jewish Israel, it feels right.
That is the difference between living as a Jew
outside Israel and as a Jew in Israel: here we can just BE Jewish and
the calendar and the customs and the norms of behavior push us into
being culturally Jewish even if we don’t want to study Torah for nine
hours a day.[...]
No comments :
Post a Comment
ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE POSTED!
please use either your real name or a pseudonym.