On the evening of October 11th, we went to the synagogue to join the prayer on the eve of Kippur called: Prayer of the “Kol Nidre” (asking for the cancellation of all vows, oaths or promises, that we could have pronounced from last Yom Kippur or will pronounce until next Yom Kippur). There was a wonderful chorus, they song all the prayers. Also, there were a lot of people because we shared and joined with the people of the Biblical program from Ecce Homo. We could feel a spirit of Prayer and a spirit of unity with Jewish people.

“The whole community of Israelites will be forgiven, as also the alien residing with them, since the entire people acted by inadvertence.” (Numbers 15, 26)

Next day, we went to walk around the city in Mea Shearim to feel the atmosphere there and how they live this time of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). The streets were so quiet and there were no cars. Also, we could hear the prayer of Jewish people in the synagogues outside in the street. In addition, this day Jewish people were fasting from food and drink.

“This shall be an everlasting ordinance for you: on the tenth day of the seventh month every one of you, whether a native or a resident alien, shall mortify himself and shall do no work. Since on this day atonement is made for you to make you clean, so that you may be cleansed of all your sins before the Lord, by everlasting ordinance it shall be a most solemn Sabbath for you on which you mortify yourselves.” (Leviticus 16, 29-31)

We went to the Western Wall in the afternoon to see, know, hear and understand what Jewish people do on this holy day and their prayers. All of them were waiting for the sound of the last shofar.

“Then you will cry for help and the Lord will answer; you will call and he will say, ‘I am here.’ If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist and malicious words, if you deprive yourself for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkest hour will be like noon.11 Yahweh will always guide you, will satisfy your needs in the scorched land; he will give strength to your bones and you will be like a watered garden, like a flowing spring whose waters never run dry.” (Isaiah 58, 9-12)

Andrea Chacon, Novice NDS
Ein Karem