Each year, all cars, airplanes, trains and all public transportation stop moving and goes off the road all over
Israel for twenty-four hours in celebration of the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people,Yom Kippur,יום כיפור , also known as Day of Atonement - In this day no music plays over the radio, television stops broadcasting, and all
shops and businesses remain shut down. For one day, Israel resembles a
scene from a post apocalypse movie.
Throughout the country, air
pollution plummets a whopping 99% - in some places nearly eliminating
the presence of nitrogen oxides, a prominent contaminant in motor
vehicle emissions. The air smells good, the visibility gets better and
the distant roar of traffic is comfortably absent. Residents take
advantage of this day and goes out for walks along the empty city
streets. Some take out their bicycles, roller blades and skateboards.
The dramatic decline of pollution on Yom Kippur indicates just how
polluted the air is the rest of the year.
Visiting Israel during Yom Kippur can be a surreal experience, but when
an entire country stops functioning, the consequences can get dire.
Eating out during Yom Kippur can be difficult as so much of the country
is fasting. Hotels will run an almost skeleton staff and all leisure
services such as gyms will be closed. It is therefore highly unlikely
that there will be fresh food or usual food service. Some hotels
organize a limited buffet of simple, pre-prepared food for guests who
want it, but if you are not staying in a hotel, it is unlikely that they
will allow you to eat in their restaurant.
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