14 Fun Facts About the High Holy Days Season

The Fellowship  |  September 11, 2021

Do you ever wonder how Israelis celebrate the High Holy Days? Writers at Israel21c share some unique and fun traditions:

7. Fast until you want to pass out, then stuff yourself silly

For many Israelis, Yom Kippur means 25 hours without food or water—yikes! And most times, this holiday falls before the Israeli summer heat has completely faded, which can be an added challenge.

But that’s not the strangest part of this holiday. As with all Jews around the world, once the Yom Kippur fast breaks, all bets are off. Pass the bagels and the pickled herring, or we will pry it out of your cold dead hands. Sorry, not eating has made us crabby, and we will make up for those lost meals if it’s the last thing we do!

Read the full list about the High Holy Days here. And learn more about this sacred season on our learning center page.