This is an advertisement, written in Hebrew, English, and Hungarian, for Osem noodles: “...and before and after the fast: a good soup with finest Osem noodles.” The advert describes the variety of noodles that Osem offers and recommends number 21, their “especially thin noodles,” for the soup that people might make for the meal before or after the Yom Kippur fast.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, is observed by praying and fasting for 25 hours. Yom Kippur begins before sunset on the tenth day of Tishrei and continues until the appearance of three stars on the following night. To prepare for the fast, many eat a large meal before Yom Kippur which often includes soup. Each community has their own traditions for this meal. Ashkenazi Jews, for example, often eat krepelach (small dumplings similar to ravioli). The filling represents the material world that is responsible for our sins and the pastry surrounding the filling represents the hope that our sins will be “covered.” Tunisian Jews eat quince jam, hoping that Yom Kippur will have a sweet outcome. Another meal is eaten to break the fast and this too may include soup.
The Osem advert was designed by Otte Wallish, the designer of Osem’s original logo.
Would You Like to Know More?
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.
Otte Wallish – The designer Otte Wallish is is considered the first Hebrew graphic designer and is known particularly for his calligraphy of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the first logos of Israeli manufacturers Tnuva and Osem, and Israel’s first postage stamps.
