Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in Jewish faith. Most Jews and Israelis will spend their Yom Kippur in Synagogue. The strange thing is the whole entire country shuts down for the day. No one drives their car. Everyone walks to synagogue or rides their bicycle. The streets are completely bare. You can walk down the Ayalon Highway which runs north and south through Tel Aviv and you would not see a car driving. Walking back from Erev Yom Kippur services, you could see the entire neighborhood of Kiryat Shalom hanging out in the street, kids riding their toy cars and bikes, and grandmothers gossiping. I normally would go to services if I were home in Massachusetts, but this time in Israel I decided to contemplate and have a bit of introspection by walking around the dead city that is regularly full of life at all times of the day. For instance seeing Shouk HaCarmel totally dead was something very interesting to see. I am extremely thankful to be spending my year here in this city and in this country. Everyday I find something new that makes me smile and thankful to be here. Looking back on my experience of Yom Kippur, I could not go back to America and celebrate it the same way. Yom Kippur here is special. It is the way the people celebrate it that makes it special.