This is a letter dated from September 4, 1964 written by the Israeli sales manager for Alitalia Airlines informing passengers that flights to and from Israel on September 15 and 16 have been cancelled due to the Yom Kippur holiday.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, and although the majority of Israelis consider themselves secular, most regular daily activities are cancelled on Yom Kippur. There is no public transport including flights and even private transport is very limited on Yom Kippur. Most of the streets and highways are deserted except for pedestrians and cyclists.
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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.
