Interesting Facts

The observance of the most holy day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins the evening of Sunday, 1 October. During the daytime, banks, post offices, some businesses, buses and trains will follow a Friday schedule; government offices, some businesses, and some restaurants will be open. In the evening, most businesses and restaurants will be closed, and there will be no public transportation. On Monday, 2 October, banks, post offices, government offices, and all Jewish businesses and restaurants will be closed. No buses or trains will be running during the daytime. After sunset, some restaurants will open and public transportation will resume.

On this most holy day, it is appropriate—out of respect for many of your neighbors—to keep music and noise from gatherings to a minimum. It is likewise courteous to refrain from driving vehicles and eating in public.

For your background knowledge, sunset on the 1st of October marks the beginning of a 25-hour fast for many of your Jewish neighbors. On Rosh Hashana, the New Year, God opens the Book of Life, writes the names of everyone and their fate for the coming year, and seals it on Yom Kippur. This explains the common greeting “May you be sealed [in the Book of Life] for a happy year” (“G’mar Kha-tima Tovah”).