Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashana was such a hit, I didn't expect that Yom Kippur would be such a challenge. Rosh Hashana was always better celebrated with friends around. It is a festive holiday and rejuvenating. Yom Kippur is a solemn day. In Israel, no one drives. One of my favorite stories is a joke about an immigrant who explains what Yom Kippur is in Israel.

"Yom Kippur is a day when a great miracle occurs. Every other day of the year, many people are driving and yet there is never any parking- anywhere. But one day of year, on Yom Kippur, no one drives and yet everyone finds parking!"

Anyway, no one drives. People don't usually speak on the phone. It is a time to remain at home, or go for strolls, watch videos, reflect, think, and be with family. Which makes it only natural that this was a day where I found myself desperately missing my Israeli family.

I had planned to go out with friends on Friday night, not making the connection that this would be the holiday, or that the day might be a challenging one. In the end, I did end up going out and enjoyed it immensely. I spent the next day at home, fulfilling the mitzvah of torturing my soul (by listening to Jewish liturgical music), and then practicing my Hebrew.

I think that this is how my relationship with the Jewish holidays will be from now on- hit and miss. A little bit of this, a lot of that, none of the other. I am working on accepting the fact that it will be a dynamic relationship as I continue to come in contact with new cultures and new people.