Yom Kippur a time for reflection, prayer and digital quiet

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the year for those of the Jewish faith, begins Friday at sunset -- the start of a 25-hour period of fasting and deep prayer.

Culminating the High Holy Days that began with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 24, Yom Kippur concludes a monthlong process of intense self-reflection and prayer focused on how observant Jews can improve their relationships with others.

"This is the day when Jews are required to search our hearts and to think through all the times during the past year when we have fallen short in our relationships, in the way we interact with the world," said Rabbi Michael White of Temple Sinai in Roslyn.

"We are supposed to . . . determine to make amends and improve and to reach for our better selves in the year to come," he said.

Rabbi Howard Buechler of the Dix Hills Jewish Center likened the day to "taking a selfie without the camera."

It is "a day of soulful introspection and a day of challenge and triumph" during which Jews ask themselves "how can we remove the rust and corrosive aspects of anger and lethargy and the way we've strayed in order to do better."

Observant Jews typically will spend the first evening of Yom Kippur in prayer at synagogues, then return the next morning for a full day of prayers, which usually end about one hour after sunset.

During that time, they must abstain from eating, drinking and any comforts. For some traditional Jews, that includes refraining from wearing leather clothing or adorning themselves in any way, White said. "This is a day when we don't think about our own personal vanity, but instead we think about what is inside us," he said.

One growing modern challenge for Jews and rabbis during Yom Kippur is getting the congregation to "unplug" from electronic devices, which they are not supposed to use during the holy day -- either at home or while at their synagogue or temple -- because they distract from prayer, self-reflection and a focus on God.

White said that is not easy for many worshippers.

"I think it is harder for people to stay away from their iPhones than it is to stop eating," he said.

During the High Holy Days, Buechler's synagogue posts a sign that says, "God is calling you, but probably not on your cellphone." The sign shows a cellphone surrounded by a red circle, with a red line through the circle.

Still, he said, a few congregants bring phones with them, slipping them inside prayer books.

Bruce Rudin, 58, who attends the Dix Hills Jewish Center, said keeping away from the electronics won't be a problem for him, his wife and his three sons, ages 17, 20 and 22.

They completely shut down for Yom Kippur, he said, refusing to drive, use electricity, watch TV or use any electronics. In the little time they have between prayers at the synagogue, they likely will read or play board games at home.

His sons don't complain, Rudin said. "To shut down for a day won't kill them," he said. "They even enjoy a break."