The Day of Atonement!

On this week’s program, we’re focusing on the most sacred day on the Jewish calendar known as Yom Kippur, which Israelis will start marking on Tuesday evening, the 22nd of September. Also known as the Day of Atonement, it is a very solemn occasion when all the Jews in Israel fast. There are no cars on the highways, no television or radio shows, all restaurants are closed, and everyone is dressed in white to show they are in repentance. Indeed, it is quite remarkable to see a whole nation come to a standstill, and fast and pray together. Now to open our coverage on Yom Kippur, we first have some biblical insights from Rev. Juha Ketola, the International Director for the Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. Here’s Juha with more…

As Israelis prepare for the Jewish High Holy Days, Front Page senior producer David Parsons spoke with former Knesset member Dov Lipman about Yom Kippur – or the Day of Atonement. Dov Lipman is an Orthodox rabbi who was the only the second American Jewish immigrant to Israel to ever be elected to the nation’s parliament. He’ll tell us more about the unique traditions associated with the fast day of Yom Kippur. So here’s David with our guest in Jerusalem.

In late September, Israelis will start celebrating the biblical festival of  Sukkot. Also known as the Feast of Booths, this is when they build small huts in their yards or balconies and spend family time together remembering Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness. But what makes this Jewish holiday truly unique is that thousands of Christians will also be showing up in Jerusalem to join in marking Sukkot. Now this is in keeping with the ancient biblical tradition that the nations were also welcome to come join the Jewish people in Jerusalem to worship God at this “appointed time.” The prophet Zechariah even foresaw a day when all nations will ascend to Jerusalem every year to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. So for the past 35 years now, the International Christian Embassy has hosted thousands of Christian pilgrims at its annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem in anticipation of that great day. So just what is the story behind the Feast of Tabernacles? What are some of the traditions and hopes associated with this biblical feast of joy? And why should Christians from around the world also come up to Jerusalem to keep this fall festival? The Feast of Tabernacles!  That’s our focus next week here on Front Page Jerusalem . We’ll look at the meaning and traditions surrounding the biblical holiday of Sukkot – or the Feast of Booths. We’ll have a Bible teaching on this special festival by David Parsons , senior producer of Front Page Jerusalem and an ordained minister with the International Christian Embassy.