SEPTEMBER 21 • 2023 | 69

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at thejewishnews.com
Looking Back

Wishing You a 
Meaningful Holiday
Y

om Kippur begins Sunday night, 
Sept. 24. This is the most serious 
High Holiday, the day when Jews 
make amends for past sins. It is the Day of 
Atonement — in Hebrew “yom” 
means day and “kippur” means 
atonement. 
I thought I’d check the 
William Davidson Digital 
Archives of Jewish History for 
stories about Yom Kippur. As 
a measure of its importance, 
almost 9,000 pages in the 
Archive have content on this High Holiday. 
Indeed, there are many reports and stories 
about Yom Kippur in every year of the Jewish 
Chronicle and the Jewish News.
Over the years, one can see that the JN 
provided its readers with helpful guidelines 
about the holiday for families and children. 
For an early example, see “Miriam’s Stories 
for Our Boys and Girls” in the Sept. 26, 1952, 
issue of the JN. It provides the kids with a 
good synopsis of the historical origins of 
Yom Kippur customs.
Leap forward to the 1980s and read 
“Celebrating the High Holy Days with Your 
Children.” In this essay, writer Barbara 
Diamond Goldin offers suggestions that 
“make the holiday’s theme meaningful to 
children” (Oct. 1, 1986, JN).
“Food for the Soul” is a comprehensive 
article by JN’s Elizabeth Applebaum that 
offers 20 different ideas to “feel a little of 
the power of Yom Kippur throughout the 
year.” Her suggestions range from giving 
tzedakah, spending time with the family 
and developing a sense of humor, to visiting 
Israel, studying Judaism and remembering 
your ancestors. It’s a very interesting read 
with lots of food for thought.
For many years, Applebaum was the editor 
of the special JN section, “Apple Tree.” Its 

mission was “helping 
Jewish families grow.” 
In respect to this 
goal, Applebaum 
would write an 
annual column 
about the High Holiday, such as 
“Yom Kippur at a Glance.” These were very 
helpful articles that provided readers with 
fundamental information about Yom Kippur 
on one page (for example, see the Sept. 21, 
2001, JN).
Other stories focused on teenagers or 
older children. “Meaningful Moments” is 
a collection of thoughts about Yom Kippur 
from local high school students (Sept. 
20, 2007). The author is David Lehmann, 
who was a 17-year-old senior at Yeshivat 
Akiva in Southfield at that time. His article 
includes “meaningful” comments from 
other teenagers, Kale Davidoff and Lauren 
Mondry, as well as book and website 
suggestions for the holiday.
Last year, a young Jewish man made the 
cover of the JN: University of Michigan 
football player, Mica Gelb. Inside the 
issue, JN sportswriter Steve Stein tells 
Gelb’s story of “Keeping the Faith” (Sept. 
15, 2022). Gelb is a Jewish student who 
keeps kosher during Passover and fasts 
during Yom Kippur. As you can imagine, 
the latter is not an easy task during football 
season, but he persevered. 
Finally, if you just need something to do 
during your fast, the JN published several 
“Yom Kippur Crossword puzzles” during 
the 1980s (for example, see the Aug. 26, 
1988, JN). 
I wish you a safe and meaningful holiday. 
Have an easy fast. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, 
available for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair