This is a black and white photograph of Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv taken on Yom Kippur, 1965. At this time, Dizengoff Street was Tel Aviv’s main commercial street – a busy street full of traffic and people. This photograph, however, depicts a completely different situation. No cars can be seen on the road. Only a few people can be seen walking on the pavement, and one person is crossing at the zebra crossing. The shops on both sides of the road are closed, and no one is standing at the bus stop.
Although Tel Aviv is generally considered a secular city, Yom Kippur is a special day in Israel even in Tel Aviv, with most people marking the day in one way or another. The streets are mostly empty, businesses are closed, and there is no public transportation. The fact that there are no cars in the streets has created a modern secular custom of riding bicycles through the empty streets on Yom Kippur.
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Yom Kippur – Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. The date of Yom Kippur is 10 Tishrei, and it marks the end of the ten-day period beginning with Rosh Hashanah which is called the High Holy Days and the Ten Days of Repentance. According to tradition, God evaluates each person’s life and writes their name in either the Book of Life or the Book of Death during the Ten Days of Repentance; on Yom Kippur, the books are sealed. While reflection and prayer take place throughout the ten days, Yom Kippur is the most solemn day, and it is traditional to pray, fast, and refrain from bathing and wearing leather shoes. It is also traditional to give tzedakah (charity), during this time period. Another unusual custom is wearing a tallit for all of the prayers, when it is usually only worn during the day, and in some communities men wear a special white robe named a kittel. There are five services on Yom Kippur, beginning with the Kol Nidrei prayer and the Maariv service in the evening. Prayers are resumed the following day with Shacharit (morning service) and the Musaf (additional service) which includes a description of the special ceremonies that took place in the Temple on Yom Kippur. Later in the day is the Mincha service, during which the Book of Jonah is read, and the day comes to close with the Neilah service, considered to be the final opportunity to ask God to be written in the Book of Life, which ends with the congregation saying the Shema and the blowing of the shofar.
Yom Kippur in Israel – Yom Kippur in Israel is a day unlike any other. Although most Israelis consider themselves secular, Yom Kippur is treated as a special day by most of the Jewish population. Many Israelis fast for the day, and there is no public transport, including airplanes, buses, and taxis, and very few cars on the streets. The traffic-free roads and highways have led a new, secular tradition of riding bikes on the highways on Yom Kippur. Stores, businesses, museums, and restaurants are all closed on Yom Kippur, and people use the day for religious observance or for a day of rest and relaxation.
Dizengoff Street – Dizengoff Street is a major street in central Tel Aviv. The street was named after Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of the city. In the past it was called the “Champs-Elysees” of Tel Aviv and boasted the most fashionable shops and restaurants. Dizengoff Street also features many of Tel Aviv’s iconic Bauhaus buildings. Towards the southern side of the street is Dizengoff Square, originally named after Meir Dizengoff’s wife, Tzina. The street has declined somewhat in recent years and lost much of its prestige.
