Results tagged “yomkippur”

Today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which commemorates the day that God forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. And besides fasting and abstinence and using the JewBerry, this year there's a hot new way to atone, via iPhone! The mobile-app "Send a Prayer" costs 99 cents and lets users type personal prayers into their phones, which are printed out by a rabbi in Jerusalem and placed in the Western Wall. 10,000 prayers have been sent so far, with 10 percent from the NYC area. Chabad's Meir Simcha Kogan tells the Post the app is definitely kosher: "Everything in this world was created for a divine purpose." Wait, even AT&T?

The upcoming Yom Kippur sure has been a day of atonement for event planners. After an official protest from Congressman Anthony Weiner, Major League Baseball and ESPN have switched back the starting time of the final regular season Yankees-Red Sox matchup September 27th, that originally had been moved to after sundown on the high holy day so that it could reach a wider television audience. The brouhaha over the conflict comes on the heels of both the Jets and U2 having to scramble their schedules for the same reason.

After outcry from the Jets and their Jewish fans, the NFL agreed to move the time of their September 27 game from 4:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. This way, fans will be able to get home before sundown and the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Some fans may be atoning for attending the September 20 afternoon game—which falls during Rosh Hashanah! The Giants are playing on the road during the two holidays, after the NFL agreed to Big Blue's request to avoid playing during Jewish holidays at home (the NY market has a lot of Jewish fans); the NFL, however, admitted it made a mistake scheduling the Jets to play at home even though the team requested otherwise. The 9/27 game time change means that the Jets' game against the Titans will be airing on TV against the Giants-Bucaneers game.

Jewish pigskin lovers in the area might undergo a conversion this season—from Gang Green to Big Blue. With Jewish high holy days falling on consecutive weekends this September, the NFL consented with the Giants' request that they play on the road while Rosh Hahanah and Yom Kippur were being observed. But somehow a similar request by the Jets got lost in the mail. A team VP said, "The Jets are hearing from their fans. There was miscommunication between the Jets and the NFL office, for which I take full responsibility. All we can continue to do is look and see if there is a solution to this." The 9/27 game during Yom Kippur could be atoned by simply switching its 4:15 start time with the Giants 1:00 game in Tampa Bay—the holiday begins that evening at sundown). But there may be no repentance for the previous week's 1 p.m. home opener against the Patriots—Rosh Hashanah concludes that Sunday at sundown, so only a switch to Sunday night could make amends. Neither team can play Monday or Thursday night games at home this season due to construction of their new stadium.

Ah, Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. What better way to spend the eve of the holiday than by slaughtering an animal? The NY Times reports that the tradition of kaparot--"Orthodox Jews take live chickens, swing them over their heads as a means of symbolically transferring sins to the chickens, and then slaughter them"-- is attracting protest. Rabbi Hecht (whose father revived the tradition) says he received threats via email, phone and letters. His number one suspect, PETA, denied the accusation, met with Hecht, and says, “If anyone is really sending threatening or anti-Semitic e-mails, that is both immoral and counterproductive. It’s unfortunate when someone hands an animal abuser cause for self-righteousness.” How much does it cost to slaughter a chicken? Just $2 for Hecht's Crown Heights congregation (he bought in bulk). After slaughtered, they go uneaten and, in the past, have actually been shoved in to traffic cones once killed (video here).

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on 126th St. in Manhattan, another shooting on Intervale Ave. and East 163rd St. in the Bronx, and a stabbing on Rockaway and Pitken Aves. in Brooklyn.
• Atlantic City's Borgata casino was in flames this morning.
• Connecticut's Governor suspended parole for inmates convicted of violent crimes after NYC cops shot a convict who drove a car stolen at knife point into the city.
• A Norwegian Cruise Line ship was held dockside in Manhattan for several hours yesterday evening until a bomb threat was determined to be false.
• The Gowanus Lounge notes a flier looking to ID witnesses to the brutality inherent in the system.
• Muslim and Jewish New Yorkers dined together last night on Manhattan's Upper West Side, as members of both religion broke fasts related to Yom Kippur and Ramadan after sunset.
• The effect of the metal bat ban on city baseball so far.

The 59 year old man who was critically injured while walking on Queens Boulevard by a hit-and-run driver Monday night died yesterday. Yakub Aminov, who had been coming back from Yom Kippur services, was buried in Flushing; he had immigrated from Uzbekistan 15 years ago and lived in Forest Hills with his wife and two of three sons according to the Daily News.

Last night, a man was crossing Queens Boulevard at 67th Avenue when a silver SUV hit him without stopping. The 59 year old man had been returning home from Yom Kippur services, and Queens DA Richard Brown said, "I'm troubled. I went to temple myself today. It's the most important day of the Jewish calendar, and apparently he was on his way home from temple after observing the holiday, and to have this happen to him is just a terrible tragedy." Police are looking for a silver Nissan SUV with either broken windows or windshield as the victim remains in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital.

-- And finally, Yom Kippur starts at sunset.

Next Wednesday at sundown the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur begins - a 24 hour period of fasting and atonement. After a full day without food or drink, many Jews ritually break their annual fast with the "other" Jewish cuisine - Chinese. But, even more members of "the Tribe" default to the classic urban Judaic breakfast for break-the-fast - a smoked fish-palooza featuring a bevy of assorted bagels and cream cheese spreads.

Is alternate side parking suspended anytime this week? I know the Jewish holidays are still going on and, even though I'm not Jewish, I'd rather not move my car before I go to work.

With the Jewish holidays in high gear, many of you will be washing down your gefilite fish with a glass or two of Kosher wines. We�re not just talking about Manishevitz, the official �fortified grape juice� of the Jewish people, but rather the growing selection of Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnay�s and numerous wines that are being made Kosher style.