Wishing All Who Observe Yom Kippur A Good Day Of Peace & Goodness
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British Columba Golf wishes all who are observing Yom Kippur a peaceful and fulfilling day of reflection.
Yom Kippur is the culmination of the high holidays, a period of 10 days of repentance. These dates fall during the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which typically overlap with September or October in the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Yom Kippur begins on the evening of September 24 and ends in the evening of September 25.
If you or someone you know is observing Yom Kippur, ALESANDRA DUBIN at Good Housekeeping reached out to Edana Appel, Director of Camp and Family Programs at the J Los Angeles (formerly the Westside Jewish Community Center), to find appropriate and traditional greetings to share.
What is the best way to greet someone for Yom Kippur?
Here are some appropriate and standard greetings.
- Tzom Kal: This Hebrew greeting translates to "an easy fast." Appel says this greeting has two different meanings. The first meaning is literal, because "fasting is hard and it would be nice if it was easier," she explains. "The second is that some people believe that if you have been good this past year that your fast should be easy as Yom Kippur is the day for settling the sins you have committed against God."
- Gmar Chatima Tovah: It directly translates to "that you should be sealed for goodness in the end." It relates to the Jewish concept that at the end of the day on Yom Kippur, each person's fate is sealed in the Book of Life "and throughout Yom Kippur, we are striving to be sealed for goodness," Appel says.
- Gmar Tov: This Hebrew greeting translates directly to "a good end" in English. "A good end really means that this coming year will be a good year for you,"Appel explains. "That your fate will be sealed for goodness in the coming year."