My only in Israel moment was this past Yom Kippur.

My only in Israel moment was this past Yom Kippur. Traditionally, on Yom Kippur people fast for the entire day as well as not drive their cars. In America, Yom Kippur is celebrated by some people but the limited driving idea is not spread through the country. This past Yom Kippur, I was in Jerusalem. We walked to synagogue and back. And although it was very hot I really appreciated the time spent outdoors, admiring the beautiful Jerusalem. While waking back to the hostel, the roads were completely empty. There was not a single car on the road. But kids and families rode bikes and scooters in the streets and on the sidewalk.  The rest of the group and I walked on the road not on the sidewalk but on the road. This was way different then the regular day because we were not affected by the commotion that cars make. It was so cool to not hear the noise of cars. All we heard was ourselves and the other people. Another unique thing was that all the stoplights were blinking a yellow light the entire day. Not only did we walk in the road, during the evening we sat in the road in a circle. We all sat and sang songs to end our Yom Kippur and the fast. I’ve never been able to sit in the middle of the road with a group of people and not fear the obvious things, cars. At first we were all uncomfortable sitting in the center of an intersection but the feeling soon faded. In America, not all of the population is Jewish and therefore Yom Kippur is not really seen unless attending a synagogue.   In America, many people still drive and don’t honor Yom Kippur. In Israel, it is totally different. In Israel, Yom Kippur is seen and felt through the nation. The majority of people adhere to the customs of Yom Kippur. When a person does drive on Yom Kippur they face some back lash which was really unique to see. My only in Israel moment happened this past Yom Kippur when I saw how a whole nation of people responds to Yom Kippur.