Yom Kippur (יום כיפור, "Day of Atonement") is known as one of the most reflective and serious days of the Jewish calendar. It can also be one of the most joyous, when seen as an opportunity to clean the slate and start afresh. As we prepare ourselves for this meaningful holiday, how is it connected to an opportunity to learn some Hebrew slang?
Using the word כַּפָּרָה (kapara, literally "atonement," the same word as in יום כיפור, Yom Kippur), we will look at how a word can hold a completely different meaning than its literal translation. Yalla, let’s begin!