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Yom Kippur in 2020
How Religion Should Adapt to Modernity
It never ceases to amaze me how few of my gentile friends are even aware of the existence of Yom Kippur, the most important Jewish holiday.
One possible explanation for this absence of awareness is that Yom Kippur doesn’t aggressively shove gift-wrapped, mostly empty consumerism down everyone’s throat regardless of their wishes.
Sorry, I know the truth hurts.
Traditionally, Yom Kippur involves fasting without food or water for 24 hours. It’s also the fullest day of the year in synagogue, as everyone wants to look good in the eyes of God (and their community). Like most religious traditions, there’s logical reasoning behind the way things are done.
But there’s a problem. Fewer people than ever are religious, especially within the younger generation. In the modern world, things are changing fast, and if religion does not adapt quickly, it will die.
My Version of Yom Kippur
I don’t connect with many traditional aspects of Judaism, but unlike other traditions, Yom Kippur has only become more important as I’ve aged. Ironically, this happened because I relaxed my interpretation of the holiday.
