How do Jewish people fast?

Answer 1

Most Orthodox and some non-Orthodox Jews pray every day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening. That is when synagogue services are held.

Other non-Orthodox Jews pray only on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Answer 2

Yom Kippur is a the only Biblical fast day. On Yom Kippur, Jews pray for forgiveness for all their sins. No eating, drinking, bathing, anointing or marital relations are allowed. Wearing leather shoes is also prohibited.

There are also some minor fast days (besides Yom Kippur) that are observed:

• Tzom Gedalya; the morrow of Rosh Hashana
• Asara B'Tevet - 10th of the month of Tevet, a week after Hanukkah
• Ta'anit Esther - the day before Purim
• Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17 of Tamuz
• Tisha B'Av - 9th of the month of Av

Minor fasts start at dawn and end at nightfall, except for Tisha B'Av which starts at sunset and lasts for 25 hours. The 3 weeks between Shiva Asar B'Tamuz and Tisha B'Av is a period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple, referred to as "the 3 weeks" or Bein Hametzarim. The mourning intensifies during the last 9 days of these 3 weeks.

Answer 3

Yes, there are six fasts each year:

1) Tzom Gedalya; the day after Rosh Hashanah.

2) Asara B'Tevet - 10th of the month of Tevet.

3) Ta'anit Esther - the day before Purim.

4) Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17th of Tamuz.

5) Tisha B'Av - 9th of the month of Av.

6) Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei), the Day of Atonement.

The fasts start shortly before dawn and end at twilight, except for Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av which start the evening before at sunset and lasts for 25 hours.

Answer 4

The most noticeable observance of a fast day is the abstention from food and drink. On a deeper level, a fast day is an auspicious day; a day when G-d is close and waiting for us to repent.

There are two types of fast: the dawn-to-dusk fasts, which are four times a year, and two 25-hour fasts with no food or water. This includes such things as not even brushing the teeth.

On Yom Kippur, the fast also includes abstaining from sexual intercourse and refraining from "anointing" (bathing, wearing perfume).

Fast days:

Tzom Gedalya; the day after Rosh Hashanah

Asara B'Tevet - 10th of the month of Tevet

Ta'anit Esther - the day before Purim

Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17th of Tamuz

Tisha B'Av - 9th of the month of Av

The fasts start shortly before dawn and end at twilight, except for Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av which start the evening before at sunset and lasts for 25 hours.

Answer 5

The main goal of a fast day is to have remorse for our sins.

The basic fast rules according to Halachah (Jewish law) are:

There are two types of fast days: "light" fast days and "severe" fast days.

In "light" fast days:

1. The fast starts from dawn to nightfall.

2. During the fast day one is not permitted to eat nor drink anything.

3. The scheduled "light" fasts in the Hebrew calendar are:

- Yud zain betamuz (The seventeenth of the month of Tamuz)

- Tzom Gedalyah (The Fast of Gedalyah)

- Asara Betevet (The tenth day of the month of Tevet)

- Ta'anit Ester (The fast of Ester)

In "severe" fast days:

1. The fast startst from sunset (of the previous day) to nightfall.

2. During the fast one is not permitted to eat, drink, anoint oil, wash, wear leather shoes and to have sexual intercourse.

3. The scheduled "severe" fasts on the Hebrew calander are:

- Yom Kippur.

- Tisha Be'av.

Answer 6

There are six fast days in the Jewish calendar:

- Yud zain betamuz (The seventeenth of the month of Tamuz)

- Tzom Gedalyah (The Fast of Gedalyah)

- Asara Betevet (The tenth day of the month of Tevet)

- Ta'anit Ester (The fast of Ester)

- Yom Kippur.

- Tisha Be'av.

Except for the scheduled fasts one may set upon himself a fast if he wants (But not on Shabbat or Holidays).

Additionally, rabbaic leadership may set more fast days in the incident of a drought or any other catastrophe. Because the main goal of a fast day is to have remorse for our sins.

Answer 7

It depends on the level of observance and what kind of prayer you're talking about:

Private prayer (=either alone or in a group of less than 10)

• Any Jews can do this kind of prayer any time, as little or as much as they want.
  
• Private prayer is not regulated by Jewish law, as far as quantity or content is concerned
  
• All branches of Judaism engage in private prayer, but not every Jewish person does.

Public prayer (=formal synagogue prayer, requires a group of at least 10)

• Orthodox Jews pray 3 times a day. Jewish law requires this of Jewish men.
  
• Non-Orthodox Jews usually only go to synagogue on either Friday nights and/or Saturday mornings. They may also go on certain holidays. Some non-Orthodox Jews follow the same laws as the Orthodox regarding public prayer and go every day or most days.
• There are some that identify as Orthodox Jews who only go to the synagogue on the Sabbath and holidays, just like non-Orthodox Jews.

Note: a group of 10 Jews is required for public prayer, among virtually all branches of Judaism, This is called a "Minyan". In the Orthodox branch, only men are counted in the Minyan, since only men are obligated to engage in public prayer. Non-Orthodox branches count women as well. Only the Reform movement counts patrilineal Jews (Jews who have a Jewish father but a non-Jewish mother.)

Answer 8

Synagogue services are held three times a day, every day of the year.Morning services may begin anytime between dawn and around 8 a.m., depending on the needs of the congregation. Some synagogues have more than one morning service for people with different schedule-needs. Weekday morning prayer lasts about 45 to 60 minutes.

Afternoon services and the evening service are often consecutive, beginning around 15-30 minutes before sunset. But some groups hold an early afternoon service, with around 1:00 p.m. being common. The afternoon and evening prayer last about 15-20 minutes each.
Sabbath morning service will commonly begin at 7:30 a.m. or later. This prayer is for about 2-3 hours.

See also the Related Links.

Link: Prayer and the synagogue

Link: When are the Jewish festivals

Answer 9

Yes they fast on

Yom Kippur

Tisha Beav

Shiva Asar Betamuz

Asara Betevet

Taanit Esther

Tzom Gedaliah

Answer 10

Jews have several fasting holidays. The most important is Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement. It occurs on the 10th day of Tishrei, which is usually in September or October.