The Jewish community of Brasov county celebrated Yom Kippur on 9 October 2008,. The ceremony coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this occasion, several events were organized in several municipalities in the county; the most significant was the event hosted by the Synagogue Brasov. Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement, day of repentance, has been a double opportunity for the Jews from Brasov to meet and say prayers.
New Hebrew Year
Tiberiu Roth, head of the Jewish Community of Brasov, emphasized the coincidence ?This year, in a rare occurrence, Holocaust Remembrance Day overlap Yom Kippur - the most important religious holiday. It is the day when the fate of every man is virtually sealed for the coming year. Everyone has a chance to evaluate himself and reconciliate with other people. It is a day of silence; everyone talks to his own conscience and prays the Almighty to absolve his sins?.
The Penitence Day
Yom Kippur (יום כפור - the Day of Atonement) - is one of the three major Jewish holidays celebrating the Atonement. In the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur begins at the sunset of the tenth day of the Hebrew month Tisri (corresponding to the second half of September and the first half of October in the Gregorian calendar) and continues until the sunset of the next day.
No Food, Drink and Work
Yom Kippur rite is described four times in the Pentateuch. Throughout the fast, food and drink are absolutely prohibited; it is also prohibited any work or activity that might distract attention from the penance and the atonement, except when human life is endangered. In the past, the Jews used to offer sacrifices at the Temple of Jerusalem. Yom Kippur is considered the most holy and significant day of the year.
