My Conversion Story Journal

September 21, 2023

This is my first High Holiday season. This weekend is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the day of atonement. That means that we will be asking G-d for forgiveness, feel regret for our wrongdoing, and never do those mistakes again.

I am heading down state tomorrow to go to my host's house until the evening of Yom Kippur. I honestly have no idea what to expect. It still seems that most of the rules I get during my online classes are geared towards men. I know the ladies at shul will help me, but I have to be there to learn and to understand. I imagine Shabbat to be a normal day, but Yom Kippur starts Sunday night. What should I expect? It goes until Monday. Is it just like any other day and I will be sitting there at the house reading? Are we all going to be gathered together. Do we go to shul and if so what time? Do only men go to shul like during the regular week? Though firsts are often nice, sometimes they are difficult when coming into that first feeling completely unprepared.