The shofar or keren ( horn ) is the only temple instrument still being used today in the synagogue, and it is only used from Rosh Chodesh Elul through the end of Yom Kippur.

In Judaism it is the Haftarah for the afternoon of Yom Kippur due to its story of God's willingness to forgive those who repent.

Not only does the ensuing crisis rank with the Berlin Blockade, the Suez Crisis and the Yom Kippur War as one of the major confrontations of the Cold War, it is generally regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict, or possibly World War III, where it is estimated that 100 million Americans and over 100 million Russians would have perished.

This annual judgment process begins on Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur.

Jews have two holiday seasons: the Spring Feasts of Pesach ( Passover ) and Shavuot ( Weeks, called Pentecost in Greek ); and the Fall Feasts of Rosh Hashanah ( Head of the Year ), Yom Kippur ( Day of Atonement ), Sukkot ( Tabernacles ), and Shemini Atzeret ( Eighth Day of Assembly ).

He attracted national attention in 1934 when he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race and he was not in practice a religious Jew.

Late in the 1934 season, he announced that he would not play on September 10, which was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, or on September 19, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

" Greenberg did considerable soul-searching, and discussed the matter with his rabbi ; finally he relented and agreed to play on Rosh Hashanah, but stuck with his decision not to play on Yom Kippur.

The Detroit press was not so kind regarding the Yom Kippur decision, nor were many fans, but Greenberg in his autobiography recalled that he received a standing ovation from congregants at the Shaarey Zedek synagogue when he arrived.

This is to ensure that Yom Kippur does not directly precede or follow Shabbat, which would create practical difficulties, and that Hoshana Rabbah is not on a Shabbat, in which case certain ceremonies would be lost for a year.

Hasidic Jews praying in the synagogue on Yom Kippur, by Maurycy Gottlieb

* When on an extended fast ( such as Ramadan, Lent, or Yom Kippur ) when basal requirements may be lower.

The first incident occurred on 21 February 1973, during a period of tension led to the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War in October that year, when Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 was shot down by Israeli F-4 jets over the Sinai Peninsula.

* The connection between the lack of an Islamic spirit and the lack of victory was underscored by the disastrous defeat of Arab nationalist-led armies fighting under the slogan " Land, Sea and Air " in the 1967 Six Day War, compared to the ( perceived ) near-victory of the Yom Kippur War six years later.

* Along with the Yom Kippur War came the Arab oil embargo where the ( Muslim ) Persian Gulf oil-producing states ' dramatic decision to cut back on production and quadruple the price of oil, made the terms oil, Arabs and Islam synonymous – with power – in the world, and especially in the Muslim world's public imagination.

Jews praying in a synagogue on Yom Kippur, from an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the 10-day period of atonement leading up to Yom Kippur, during which Jews are commanded to search their souls and make amends for sins committed, intentionally or not, throughout the year.

* Yom Kippur, (" Day of Atonement ") is the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Many non-religious Jews make a point of attending synagogue services and fasting on Yom Kippur.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, before candles are lit, a prefast meal, the " seuda mafseket ", is eaten.

Synagogue services on the eve of Yom Kippur begin with the Kol Nidre prayer.

It is customary to wear white on Yom Kippur, especially for Kol Nidre, and leather shoes are not worn.

( Yom Kippur, however, is referred to as yom tov – but has identical restrictions to Shabbat.

These terms are generally used to describe the rabbinic fasts, although tzom is used liturgically to refer to Yom Kippur as well.

* The English-language term High Holy Days ( or High holidays ) refers to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur collectively.

The event is celebrated annually in Israel with a national holiday Yom Ha ' atzmaut (, lit.

It is also used to describe Hanukkah and Purim, as well as Yom Ha ' atzma ' ut ( Israeli Independence Day ) and Yom Yerushalayim ( Jerusalem Day ).

According to oral tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Memorial or Remembrance ( יום הזכרון, Yom HaZikaron ), and the day of judgment ( יום הדין, Yom HaDin ).

According to the Torah, this is the first day of the seventh month of the calendar year, and marks the beginning of a ten day period leading up to Yom Kippur.

During this time, in anticipation of Yom Kippur, it is " exceedingly appropriate " for Jews to practice teshuvah ( literally " return "), an examination of one's deeds and repentance for sins one has committed against other people and God.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for Jews.

Bathing, wearing of perfume or cologne, wearing of leather shoes, and sexual relations are some of the other prohibitions on Yom Kippur-all them designed to ensure one's attention is completely and absolutely focused on the quest for atonement with God.

Yom Kippur is also unique among holidays as having work-related restrictions identical to those of Sabbath.

Although often regarded as the start of the Yom Kippur evening service – to such a degree that Erev Yom Kippur (" Yom Kippur Evening ") is often called " Kol Nidre " ( also spelled " Kol Nidrei ") – it is technically a separate tradition.

* 1942 – On the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, Nazis send over 1, 000 Jews of Pidhaytsi ( west Ukraine ) to Belzec extermination camp.

The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers ( Shacharit ) and worn during all prayers on Yom Kippur.

) As a result of the Camp David Accords, Sadat — considered a pariah and traitor — was assassinated three years later on October 6, 1981, during a military parade, commemorating Egypt's " victory " over Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

During certain parts of the Amidah said on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi Jews traditionally go down to the floor upon their knees and make their upper body bowed over like an arch, similar to Muslims, though not exactly in the same manner.

In the Ashkenazi custom, it is also the only time that the Avinu Malkeinu prayer is said on Shabbat, should Yom Kippur fall on Shabbat, though by this point Shabbat is celestially over.

During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur ( the Day of Atonement ), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness.

The blessing over the wine is said, as well as the prayer separating the holy from the everyday, but not the prayers over the havdalah candle or the spices ( though the prayer over the havdalah candle is recited at the conclusion of Yom Kippur ).

Jerusalem Day (, Yom Yerushalayim ) is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in June 1967.