Yom Kippur: How Do You Break the Fast?

For Jewish people around the world, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as “Days of Awe” which will end this Saturday night with the breaking of the fast. While some Jews fast all day on Yom Kipppur, forsaking even water, others modify the fast based on their health, level of observance or family traditions. 

Whether the actual fast is strict, lenient, or non-existent, what seems to be universal is the tradition of enjoying a festive meal with friends, neighbors, and family to mark the end of Yom Kippur. 

This meal, while steeped in Jewish tradition, is shared happily with Jews and non-Jews alike in many households, everyone enjoying the novelty of having brunch food with wine for dinner with friends and family.

“We are an interfaith family -- Italians and Jews,” says Laura Marchese. “We go to Forest Hills to my kosher in-laws for trays of smoked fish (my favorite holiday!) and my assignment is always cannoli from Gencarelli’s on Broad Street. Gotta love the Sicilian Schiksa bride,” she adds. “And on Chanukah I always make eggplant parmeseano to go with the latkes and bagels.” 

Penny Arons’ family also travels to New York to break the fast. “We belong to a synagogue in NYC and still go there for the entire day of Yom Kippur,” she explains. “We usually go to a break fast in someone's home. The community is a large one and the synagogue community divides up into three locations for services. So when we go to break fast, we compare notes about what the day was like in each place, who led the services and how we felt about the sermons.  When we return home it is usually fairly late in the evening and we feel as if we have been away for a very long time.” 

“I've been doing break fast at my cousin’s home in the city for years,” says Caren Stern. “As people walk in, they are given a glass of orange juice. She has a buffet with bagels, fish, and of course kuggle along with quiches and frittatas.  Everything is dairy and nothing is too heavy to break the fast,” she reports.

Karen Sacks and Debbie Zucker both travel with their families to their sister’s homes in Upper Saddle River and Florham Park, respectively, every year to break the fast, enjoying the traditional brunch menu with their extended families.

And many people stay right here. While Yom Kippur is a somber day, breaking the fast is generally fun and very laid back. If you don’t have plans yet for Saturday night, consider trying to get yourself invited to someone’s home who is hosting a “break fast.”  Unless, it seems, you’re allergic to fish.

As Laurie Glasman explains, “We usually "Break the Fast" (although I'm the only one that fasts), by inviting friends (Jewish and non-Jewish) and family over to our place. I always order a platter of smoked salmon and other fish, with veggies and bagels. It's low key and informal.”

“I break the fast with a glass of orange juice, cream cheese and lox on a bagel, or whitefish on a bagel and a nice cup of hot tea,” says Ellen Blankfein.

Tom Rose skips the tea and fish and goes for the good stuff – “For years, the men in my family have always broken the fast with a glass of single malt scotch,” he reports, while “bagels, lox, whitefish salad, wine & good friends” are what makes Debbi Bernstein’s break fast fun.