Tag #151781 - Interview #84041 (Yacob Hollander)

Yom Kippur came after Rosh Hashannah. Before the holiday it was necessary to visit all acquaintances asking their forgiveness and pay back all debts, get rid of all sins, basically. In the morning the Kapores ritual was conducted. A white roster was used for men and boys and girls and women were to have a white hen. Its legs were to be washed and tied. Then a prayer was said and the hen was turned over the head with words: ‘May you be my atonement’ in Hebrew. Then this hen was to be slaughtered. Its head was cut, then one had to take this head and say: ‘Death for you and life for me’. Then these hens were given to the poor. Nowadays they conduct Kapores with money at the synagogue. They turn money above the heads and then give this money to the poor. Yom Kippur started when the first evening star appeared in the sky. It was necessary to have a substantial meal before since at Yom Kippur it was necessary to fast. Children started to fast after they had bar mitzvah. In the next morning people went to the synagogue. Men wore their white kippurs. People took candles with them. They were burning a whole day and they produced fumes and people even fainted occasionally. When the first evening star appeared in the sky, the prayer was over and people went home. The fast was over and they could have a meal.