Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year, and it is a day of fasting and prayer, seeking forgiveness for our mistakes of the past year and resolving to improve in the coming year. Here are some of the customs and rituals associated with Yom Kippur:

• Fasting: Jews traditionally fast on Yom Kippur, refraining from both food and drink for the entire 25 hours of the holiday. This is a way to focus on our spiritual well-being and set our physical requirements aside.

• Abstaining from earthly pleasures: It is traditional to refrain from other earthly pleasures, such as bathing and wearing leather shoes, something seen as a luxury in ancient times. Many Jews choose to wear white, symbolizing purity and renewal as we repent for our past sins.

• Kol Nidrei service: Yom Kippur begins with the hauntingly beautiful Kol Nidrei service. Flanked by two witnesses holding Torahs to simulate a beit din, a Jewish court, the prayer leader recites a centuries-old Aramaic formula releasing us from any vows that we may fail to fulfill in the upcoming year.

• Confessional statements: The confessional statements that Jews recite throughout the day are worded in the plural - we seek forgiveness for the sin WE committed. Uniting in this way with our fellow Jews illustrates that together, we can overcome the obstacles in our path. By facing our wrongdoing as a collective, we elevate the entire Jewish community.

• Prayer and meditation: Jewish congregations spend the eve of Yom Kippur and the entire day in prayer and meditation. The services on Yom Kippur itself last continuously from morning to evening and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of penitential prayers.

• Asking for forgiveness: By reciting prayers in a synagogue on Yom Kippur, we atone for transgressions against God. For wrongs committed against other people, however, it has become customary to seek out friends and relatives whom we have wronged during the year and to ask their forgiveness before Yom Kippur.

Beyond specific actions, Yom Kippur is dedicated to introspection, prayer, and asking God for forgiveness. Even during the breaks between services, it is customary to continue to reflect on our actions and seek ways to improve ourselves.