The Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown on Sept. 29 and lasts until sundown on Sept. 30, means "Day of Atonement."

The Torah refers to the holiday as Shabbot Sabbaton, meaning "a sabbath of complete rest." Another name for Yom Kippur is Yoma, meaning "The Day," which comes from the Talmud.

During ancient times the holiday was observed using two goats. The first goat is sacrificed as a sin offering.

The second goat is set before the High Priest, who puts his hands on the head of the goat, confessing the sins of the people.

The goat is then chased into the wilderness, therefore taking the sins of the people with it.

Today the traditions of Yom Kippur are much different but have a similar focus using fasting, prayer and repentance for the sins of the past year.

The Jewish tradition of fasting on this day comes from a Biblical commandment to "practice self denial." Fasting, meaning no food or drink, lasts for 25 hours from sundown to sundown the next day.

For sophomore English major Carly Sachs, president of Jewish United Students for Today and Tomorrow, last year was the first year that she observed the requirement to fast.

She explained it was especially hard to observe while living in the dorms.

"The most difficult part is that there is no one in my dorm that is Jewish, so it is an individual experience," she said. "Everyone is like, 'why don't you just eat?'"

Despite the difficulty of fasting, Deborah Bobrow, director of Kent State Hillel Jewish Center says the purpose is to help the focus be on your spiritual life.

"It forces you to think about what you want in the next year," Sachs said.

Bobrow said Yom Kippur is the day that the Jewish ask for forgiveness as a community.

To observe this, they spend the day in prayer and ask for atonement. This is important because Jews believe that on this day God is deciding the fate for the upcoming year. The mood of the day reflects the tone, Bobrow said.

"This could be the year that we die," Bobrow said.

Because the focus of the holiday is to clean yourself for the new year, Jews practice self-punishment. While reciting prayers the person beats on his or her own chest as a act of contrition.

Jews spend the larger part of Yom Kippur in services and prayer. When they are not in services, most take the time to rest. Hillel Jewish Center is sponsoring Yom Kippur services at 8 p.m. Sept. 29.

There also is a morning service at 10 a.m. and an evening service at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 30. All services will be held in the Student Center Governace Chambers.

Tickets for students are free, while a contribution of $18 is requested from non-students. Only one ticket is needed for all services. ring prayer flaugging is practiced.

This is a form of self punishment where the person beats on their own chest as a repentance for their sins.