Every year, Yael Rubinovich takes her last bite of food and last sip of water as the sun sets and Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, begins.
Each time she fasts for 25 hours.
She spends the day resting, praying and being with her family before returning to synagogue to end the fast.
But not this year.
Rubinovich, a University of Florida nursing student, has classes scheduled during Yom Kippur. Her first class is scheduled from 7:25 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by another class from 12:50 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
She is allowed to miss class for Yom Kippur, but making up the work creates another challenge.
“I would still be required to make up all that lecture work. And since I have an exam the day after and there’s six weeks of didactic, I just don’t have the time or capacity,” she said.
Her situation reflects a conflict other Jewish students say they face when Yom Kippur falls on a weekday.
“I think a lot of students feel torn between their academic commitments and their Jewish commitments,” said Rabbi Jonah Zinn, executive director of Hillel at UF.
Zinn said some students use religious accommodations to make up exams or other academic work, while others attend class or take exams as scheduled.
Rabbi Aaron Notik, a program director at Chabad UF, said students should check their syllabuses and the Jewish calendar ahead of time and communicate with their professors as soon as they know there is a conflict.
The challenge of balancing Yom Kippur with everyday responsibilities extends into the workplace.
Larry Hartfield, owner of Hartfield Insurance Group, said taking a full day away from work can be difficult, but despite the challenges, he observes Yom Kippur each year.
“I have a hard time settling down and knowing that this is where you’re going to be for the day,” he said.
But Hartfield said the holiday takes priority.
“I got work to do, I got things to do, but it’s Yom Kippur,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jewish organizations in Gainesville are preparing for Yom Kippur services.
Chabad will hold services Sunday evening and Monday through the end of the fast, followed by a break-fast.
Notik said preparing for the holiday means preparing for large crowds. Chabad rearranges its space and brings out additional chairs to accommodate the number of people attending.
“We’re bursting at the seams,” Notik said, describing the growth in attendance at Chabad’s holiday services.
Hillel will also hold services Sunday and throughout Monday, followed by a break-fast. The organization offers Reform, Conservative and Orthodox services.
For Notik, Yom Kippur is about more than fasting. He described it as a day focused on the connection between the soul and God. He said fasting gives people an opportunity to step away from their physical needs and turn toward the spiritual.
He encourages people to observe Yom Kippur in whatever way they can, whether that means attending synagogue services, staying home to fast or doing both.