Posted on 09/17/2012 2:20:54 PM PDT by IsraelBeach
Petition To Make Jewish Day of Atonement Yom Kippur A US National Holiday
By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
New York, New York --- September 16, 2012 ... Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the most holy day in the Jewish religion is not recognized as a national holiday in the US. It is a day set aside around the world for all Jews to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year. But yet, the sacred holiday of Yom Kippur has not been accommodated with the respect that it deserves in the US.
We are hoping that an online petition located at www.YomKippur.us will gather support from both Jews and Christians, to reach thousands through the Internet, using social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter to request of Congress to make Yom Kippur a national holiday.
Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Jewish Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one's body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur.
In Israel, the small, vibrant democratic nation comes to a stand still. A complete freeze where cars, buses, trains and planes do not move. The only sounds are those of people praying and the children who take to the street on their bicycles. All is closed except for the Beit Knessets (Temples), the Israel Defense Forces and the police.
Most of the holiday, whether in Jerusalem, New York or LA is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of the tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar.
Yet, this holiest of holy days is not honored in the US while other religious holidays such as Christmas are. The Christmas Day holiday includes decorations, emphasis on family togetherness, and gift giving. Christmas was designated a federal holiday by Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870. Yet, Jesus, who is celebrated in Christmas was a Jew who observed Yom Kippur.
Other US national holidays are January 1, 2012 - New Year's Day, January 16, 2012 - Martin Luther King Day, February 20, 2012 - Presidents Day (also known as Washington's Birthday, May 28, 2012 - Memorial Day, July 4, 2012 - Independence Day, September 3, 2012 Labor Day, October 8, 2012 - Columbus Day, November 11, 2012 - Veterans' Day, November 22, 2012 - Thanksgiving Day, and December 25, 2012 - Christmas Day.
Yet one of the oldest and holiest holidays known to man is not honored - Yom Kippur.
Why?
It appears that there has never been a formal request made to Congress for Yom Kippur.
Perhaps those who wanted to sponsor Yom Kippur as a US National Holiday never thought that it would be approved by a Congress which is primarily made up of Christians, Protestants, Baptists and Catholics. But if one looks at the record of who actually supports the Jewish state of Israel - the Christians are among Israel's greatest allies.
Imagine a Christian or Protestant being in a Muslim country on Christmas Day? They would feel alone, isolated. No Christmas carols, no Christmas trees, no lights, no glass ornaments - decorations, no Santa Claus - nothing.
This is the isolation that most Jews feel on Yom Kippur in the US.
Many Jews are expected to be at work. Whether being an attorney, judge, electrician, student, salesman, teacher or baseball player. The US calendar which respects Christmas from Maine to Washington, and in several states Easter and Good Friday, totally ignores Yom Kippur.
The Israel News Agency is requesting that all Jewish organizations in the United States support an effort to make Yom Kippur a national holiday. It starts with the co-sponsoring of a petition which will be sent to every Jewish member of Congress to support and pass.
These members include: Senate - Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Carl Levin (D-MI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In the House - Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Eric Cantor (R-VA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Stephen Cohen (D-TN), Susan Davis (D-CA), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Jane Harman (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Sander Levin (D-MI), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Jared Polis (D-CO), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and John Yarmuth (D-KY).
Yom Kippur is the most important holiday of the Jewish year. As such, it should have the respect and recognition of and by the American people as a holiday observed and celebrated no less than Christmas and or Easter.
Please sign this petition and make Yom Kippur a US national holiday.
Also join our Facebook page for the latest information on this campaign.
Yom Kippur is considered one of the High Holidays. But yet in the US, it is not a holiday at all. Let's make it one!
If they’d stop complaining about Christmas, I’d consider it.
Pioneer Day. Should be a National Holiday, obviously.
_________________________________________
SL on the Jewish holiday: “it’s a bad idea to have every tiny minority demand that its holy days be recognized by the majority”
and yet you claim the Mormons who have less a percentage of the US population than the Jews should ???
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Some religions are more speshall than others...
How about Moslem national holidays ???
In 2008 there were twice as many Moslems as Mormons in the US...
Some people are obviously irony-impaired.
At best a debatable assertion.
The CIA World Factbook lists both Jews and Mormons at 1.7% and Muslims at 0.7%.
Higher percentages for each of these groups are claimed by some, often by those with an axe to grind pro or con, but I see no particular reason to believe the CIA isn't reasonably close to the truth.
Yeah
Im guessing you want to make Smithmas a national holiday too...
It was your boy Wee Willie who had the axe to grind in 2008
When he was asked about having a diverse cabinet he said he wouldnt be putting in any Moslems...
Now doesnt that sound patriotic and national security based..???
Yeah right...
He was asked why not...
Do you know what your bright boy said ???
“Oh there is not a high enough persentage of Moslems in the US to warrant having any of them in my cabinat...”
so I along with others checked on why he would have Mormons in his cabinet and not moslems...
In 2008 there were twice as many adult Moslems as there were Mormons...
amazing...
One of my co-workers is off today for Rosh Hashanah. He will take Yom Kippur off next week. My employer allows floating holidays for employees to take cultural, religious or personally significant (birthday, anniversary) off as paid time off. I take my wedding anniversary off in place of "President's Day". Most employees take the 2nd floating holiday as the day after Thanksgiving.
My wife has to work on Christmas most years. She is police/fire/EMS dispatcher. My sister is frequently required to work on Christmas too. Labor/delivery nurse. Babies arrive without consulting the calendar.
——I see it as a back door attempt to Judaize Christian America——
Dude....oh’ never mind....
10 bucks says you are a Paulbot?
There is no definitive census of Americans by religion, since the Census doesn’t ask this question.
Here’s my reference: Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
Where’s yours?
Numbers are also significantly affected in many cases by definition. How active in their faith must a Mormon or Catholic or Jew or Muslim be to qualify?
Wee Willie who? And why is he mine, whoever he is?
I’m in favor of it... I was born on Yom Kippur!
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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A rather silly idea, national holidays are by definition secular.
You owe me ten, while I can agree with the Libertarians and RP on Economic issues, absolutely not when it comes to moral, religious, and foreign policy issues. They are not conservatives, they are Liberal-tarians.
If Yom Kippur becomes a national holiday we’ll have to do the same thing for the Muslims. Please remember what happened when Pandora opened the pretty box. Sometimes it’s best to let well enough alone.
If Yom Kippur becomes a national holiday we’ll have to do the same thing for the Muslims. Please remember what happened when Pandora opened the pretty box. Sometimes it’s best to let well enough alone.
If Yom Kippur becomes a national holiday we’ll have to do the same thing for the Muslims. Please remember what happened when Pandora opened the pretty box. Sometimes it’s best to let well enough alone.
Sure, I’ll go vote for that, if they’ll vote Republican, the way they should.
NO. For reasons too numerous to post. We are forbidden from proselytizing let alone imposing. Yom Kippur is our most important and Highest Holy Day and has been thus almost forever. It defines us in a way no other tradition ever did or ever will.
I have many Jewish neighbors and friends. Never once have I heard any of them complain about Christmas. Today I wish them Happy New Year! on Christmas, they wish me a Merry Christmas.
I know that Jews in the US are a minority in numbers, but their substantial contributions to humanity, science, culture, security and medicine are too long to list.
If we transcend quantity in numbers and replace it with quality in numbers, let us vote to make Yom Kippur a US national holiday.
In regards to the fact that Yom Kippur is one of most sacred holidays in the world, and not be defined as a national holiday, I disagree. Making it a non-commercial holiday would provide and reinforce the importance of this day. Allow those who need time off for prayer.
Provide the student, the teacher, the policeman, the plumber, the salesperson and the factory worker one day off without being punished for it.
And if anyone can make this happen - it would be our Christian friends who stand with Israel day and night.
G-d bless you and your families.
MestaMachine in post 37 is against imposing this Jewish day on the rest of us, I see you are for it.
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