ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Yom Kippur starts this Sunday evening at sundown.
Observing Jews will begin their 25-hour fast immediately at sunset at 6:57 p.m. on Sunday.
Typically, those who follow the holiday would spend most of the day in synagogue, but the pandemic does not allow for large social gatherings.
READ: What is Yom Kippur, when is it, how is it celebrated?
The Chabad at the University of Central Florida is helping the campus' approximately 7,000 Jewish students take part in the holiday, even from a distance.
They will host socially distanced services for those who feel comfortable attending. For those who wish to stay home, the Chabbad will be offering students a “Yom Kippur do it yourself at home kit,” which will include a booklet with passages.
“We are pre-packing every single person their own little to-go kit with bagels, lox, cream cheese,” Rabbi Chaim Lipskier, with Chabad at UCF, said. “They can make an advance order of what they want inside.”
READ: UCF issues stern warning after faculty members violate COVID-19 safety measures
The goal is to keep up with the traditions despite the challenges we experienced this year.
“The pandemic is not a time to stand down and do less, the pandemic is a time to stand up and you do more because people need you more than ever,” he said.
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