The following is an update on whats happening right now in Jerusalem during the current Feasts. Hope you enjoy Judy's report.  Mike

From Judy Lash Balint: Jerusalem:

The Days of Awe are drawing to their climactic conclusion, and signs
of the impending Day of Judgment may be seen all over the country.

In the days before Yom Kippur, thousands of Torah observant Israelis
rush to finish the ritual of kapparot, where human sins are
symbolically transferred to a fowl--generally a chicken. It's a
custom that does not appear anywhere in the Talmud, but whose origin
seems to come courtesy of several 9th century rabbis.

In a parking lot near Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda market, dozens of
live chickens are whirled above the heads of men, women and children
while a pronouncement is made declaring: "This is my substitute, my
vicarious offering, my atonement: This chicken will meet its fate
while I will proceed to a good, long life of peace." [See Kapparot
photos from Machane Yehuda at
http://flickr.com/photos/jerusalemdiaries/] The chickens are then
donated to the needy or redeemed with money that goes to the poor.
Meantime, members of the Anonymous Animal Rights Group protest the
practice of kapparot as cruelty to animals.

Meanwhile, curious secular Israelis by the hundreds take part in pre-
dawn Selichot tours, where they look in on dozens of congregations
where the faithful are immersed in penitential prayers chanted to
ancient melodies.

In the streets later in the day, men hurry along with towels to the
nearest mikveh (ritual bath). Many have already started building
their sukkot (booths) in readiness for Sukkot, the one-week festival
that starts the week after Yom Kippur. Sukkot structures of all kinds
have sprung up on balconies, street corners and in front of cafes.
The final decorations and the schach covering will be added right
after the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

The busiest kiosks on the streets are those selling shoes made from
fabric or plastic--to comply with the prohibition against wearing
leather on Yom Kippur.

Strains of chazanut waft out of many windows, as many radio and TV
stations broadcast operatic renditions of the well-known Yom Kippur
prayers in a variety of styles. Almost every radio and TV channel
also features a physician prescribing pre-fast measures to stave off
headaches and ensure an easy fast, and advice on the best type of
food with which to break the fast.

Many of the rabbis providing commentary on Yom Kippur in the Israeli
media emphasize the festive nature of the day--not only the obvious
solemnity. Be happy, we're told, that God grants us this grand
opportunity to get a new lease on life--the possibility of teshuva
(return) shows that Judaism is optimistic and forward-looking and
allows for the reformulation of both our interpersonal relationships
and our relationship with God. Singing and dancing are the de rigueur
ways in which many congregations here, especially those at yeshivot,
end the Yom Kippur day, expressing joy at the soul having been
uplifted.

Non-observant Israelis are also getting ready for Yom Kippur. As the
one day in the year when TV and radio shuts down, they're looking for
entertainment. A woman in a halter top and shorts stops at my local
newspaper stand to buy three books of crossword puzzles. Video stores
are doing brisk business, and bicycle shops are working overtime.
There are virtually no motor vehicles on the streets of Israel on Yom
Kippur, so it's become a traditional time for mass outings on bikes--
new and old. Kids and adults enjoy the one-time freedom of movement
for two-wheeled transportation.

There's also the obligatory rehash of stories from the 1973 Yom
Kippur War in the press. Every year, commentators review the
intelligence failures and questionable political decisions that
brought Israel to the brink. "The War That Never Ends," blares the
headline of the Magazine section of Haaretz, in a lead-in to an
article about a Yom Kippur War vet suffering from Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder who finally committed himself to a psychiatric ward
after more than 30 years of agony.

As the siren sounds marking the start of the Day of Reckoning and
reports of the Iranian threat and the world financial disaster are
quieted for at least 25 hours, you may be sure that our prayers will
include a plea for a better year than the one before. Beyond that,
who knows?

From Judy Lash Balint: Jerusalem