IN PICTURES / The empty streets of Israel on Yom Kippur
Every year, on Yom Kippur, religious and secular Jews alike refrain from driving and the streets become eerily quiet.
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press Tags: Yom Kippur Jewish World Israel newsThe start of the Jewish Day of Atonement at sundown Sunday marked the beginning of a day like no other in Israel, on which even Israelis with no connection to religion tend to put their normal lives on hold.
When Yom Kippur began at around 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, TV and radio stations blinked off the air, flights in and out of Israel's airports ceased, and nearly all businesses and institutions closed. The streets emptied of cars and cities and highways were eerily quiet.
Children riding bicycles on the empty streets of Jerusalem (Image: Tess Scheflan / Jini)
A main street in Jerusalem is seen completely empty (Image: Tess Scheflan / Jini)
Young girls using chalk to draw on the asphalt in the middle of a Tel Aviv street (Image: Motti Kimche)
People walking down an empty street in Jerusalem (Image: Reuters)
A little boy riding his bicycle in a Tel Aviv street (Image: Motti Kimche)
The tunnel under Tel Aviv's famous Dizengoff square, usually bustling with traffic, is seen full of pedestrians and bicyclists (Image: Motti Kimche)
A small child riding a toy bicycle in a Tel Aviv street (Image: Motti Kimche)
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What you suggest is a nice thing, the whole world going green for a day, but let's not use religion as a label for it. Why not do this on Earth day? Let's take out these religions which create more problems everyday and be more human instead! It's a shame that during the same hours that Israel was peaceful, there was probably persons across dying the walls, in the West Bank... Let's stop the hate, from both sides, let's go back to who we are, and let's live in peace. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one..." - John Lennon.
please notice how good and clean the roads are in Israel! I was there recently and was very impressed. I am sure that God wants the Children of Israel to enjoy those roads even on Yom Kippur!
....with being neigborly. It seems to me that's the real test and focus of Yom Kippur and yet it seems Israelis to miss it repeatedly.... Dutch
I hope all you Israelis had a happy Yom Kippur atoned for all your sins faults weaknsees repented for unjust acts and in general clensed your minds of all those thoughts you may regret having now that we all return to our own normal lives I hope we are all better people for it as soon it will be October 2009 hope the Vikes beat the Jets in the Suuper Bowl 2010 sorry RIGHT ??? Thank You... M. S.
It is not illegal to drive on Yom Kippur. Where I live Arabs drive on the main road and inside their communities but do not enter the Jewish communities
Just very difficult. You can drive on highways away from city centers (and quite a few people do), but inside cities streets are littered with kids on bicycles and pedestrians.
'I`m hoping that due to high birth rates of the religious families, soon my dreams will come true'. This would be a disaster as far as I am concerned. People should have the right to practice what they want. The minute Israel becomes too religious, it will be on a path of self destruction. Religion and politics should not mix
If Israelis showed more respect for their neighbors rather than their holidays so many people wouldn't be on the Palestinian peoples' side today.
a day of real peace amongst the Jews of the Jewish State. If only Shabbat could be kept in a similar fashion in Israel.
The fact that streets are empty on yom kippur is a good sign. I wish the streets would look like this every shabbat. I'm hoping that due to high birth rates of the religious families, soon my dreams will come true.
I'm not sure Mohammmad will be happy!!
the streets are crowded with people that's nice, but why did this serious day turn into a feast? and why do they have to be so loud, shouting to each other, noisy on the bikes, and unpleasant to the (out of need, not choice) occasional driver a day of atonement - and the minute it's over the (usually white) kippah gets into a drawer and it's ok to be selfish, rude, and inconsiderate again
Sorry to disapoint those who feel that in Israel that every driver would respect "to not drive"..... but it is against the law to drive on Yom Kippur..
see reports from other countries who have a day without cars as well
fear of the "righteous" who sit, stand or walk in the middle of the road and not only don't move out of the way but sometimes even crowd around and start to harass the driver. i was in a car being rocked from side to side by youngsters, EVEN though the car was clearly marked medical staff. some of us have to get to work to take care of others on this day as well.
Hi, Conenorm, If you join the cause, it's a start. But first you have to forgive. It's the initial step. Peace Now!
Your good, wise and simple plea was needed in 1973, ask the Arabs what they were doing on this Holy time in that year. Don't lose hope my friend.
Why "eerily" quiet. I think it is a "beautiful" quiet, punctuated by bikes spinning by, parents pushing strollers and the unfortunate motorized kiddie car (now those should be banned on Yom Kippur and every other day). Truly a lovely day to take back the streets.
It is not illegal; people don't drive out of respect for the holiday.
You have the wrong address, Peaceful Observer. Tell it to the Arabs,publish it in Al Ahram.
When will it register with the 'enlightened secular population', that the beauty and peace of Yom Kippur can be had every week with Shabbat?
It's a nature-friendly day without cars and electrics and such would help a lot against climate change.
watching tv, computering. catching up on some good reading, Not everyone chooses to go out for long walks. Some even follow the prayers on the internet. and some do not fast at all. and some take pictures Bottom line is , in the Jewish State everyone refrains from driving.......no matter how they personally observe, most do so at home........ yom kippur is a very special day to all.....
Unlike the rest of the year, Jews, on the Holiest Day of the Jewish calendar are "not watching television", are "not going to cafes", are not doing what they would be doing if this was a Modern Secular State. Instead, they are walking together, getting to know each other better, enjoying the fact that they can do what they please without the benefit of the commercial outlets. Yeah, they aren't pent up in their homes afraid of what will happen if. They know what to do with themselves when "there is nothing to do". Yes Virginia, you can have a good time without sitting at the local MacDonalds and eating a cheeseburger in Tel Aviv with a milkshake. What's eerie about that?!
Kids, pedestrians and byciclists are king on Yom Kippur. Cardrivers be aware and be gone. Very nice. Happens only in Holland when we loose another international football final. And the helmets the kids on bycicles wear are funny (the kid in the white and black blocked shirt obviously is just wearing it for fashion and not safety). Well done, kid!
It's Forgiven Day. Why not forgive everything and make peace now? Think how happy it would be!!! God would be happy! Jesus would be happy! Mohamed would be happy!
it would be like this every Shabbat... *sigh*