Pasadena’s Jewish Community Prepares for Yom Kippur

As the sun sets Wednesday evening, Pasadena’s Jewish community will begin observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with services that blend ancient ritual and modern inclusivity across two local congregations.

The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center (PJTC) and Chabad of Pasadena are welcoming attendees for the 25-hour observance, which runs from sundown Oct. 1 through nightfall Oct. 2.

Widely considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur marks the culmination of the Ten Days of Repentance that began with Rosh Hashanah.

Both congregations will offer bilingual services in Hebrew and English, with explanatory guidance for those less familiar with the liturgy. PJTC will hold services at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium, while Chabad of Pasadena will gather at 1090 Walnut Street.

Rabbi Chaim Hanoka, executive director of Chabad of Pasadena, emphasized the universal themes of the holiday.

“We’re apologizing to our father in heaven to God for perhaps acting in a way which was untoward last year,” Hanoka said. “That, and resolving for the forthcoming year to be better people and asking for blessings that anybody would like — anybody, whether they’re religious or secular, would like a blessing for health and for wealth and for family and the like.”

Yom Kippur’s observance includes fasting, prayer, and reflection, rooted in biblical commandments found in Leviticus 16 and other Torah passages. The day is referred to as Shabbat Shabbaton, a “Sabbath of complete rest,” and is simply called Yoma — “The Day” — in the Talmud.

Many Jews who do not regularly attend synagogue still participate in Yom Kippur observance, drawn by its themes of forgiveness, moral renewal, and communal introspection.