Yom Kippur

It is evening of Yom Kippur and all is quiet. There are no sounds, no cars whooshing past, no tinkling piano across the way, no chatting pedestrians. Everything is quiet save for the odd bark of the dog, the whirr of the refrigerator and the occasional turning pages of Doris Lessing coming from the chair across the room.
Everything is dark. Traffic lights turned to only yellow caution and we have one of the few lighted windows.

The closest thing I can describe is the quiet of winter camping if any of you have been lucky enough to have gone with my dad or on your own.

As we walked home near dusk today, people were walking down the middle of the streets since there were no cars. Many were dressed all in white, to reflect the most holy of Jewish holidays.

Observant Jews, including the only semi- religious, have started their fast and will spend the day in reflection and atonement for promises not kept and wrongs committed. It is the most holy day of the year, and we were warned that even holding food in public will be frowned upon.

One of the most beautiful and famous Jewish tunes is the Kol Nidre which is sung on the eve of Yom Kippur- which I am not sure if that was earlier in the afternoon or yesterday evening. The song is so old the words are in Aramaic.