Israel Wants Yom Kippur as U.N. Holiday
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Israel asked the United Nations to recognize Yom Kippur as an official U.N. holiday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin and Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Ron Prosor, met Monday with U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to request international recognition for Yom Kippur, Haaretz reported.
With the recognition, U.N. employees would be allowed to take a day off without having to give up a vacation day.
There are 10 U.N. holidays, including the Muslim observances of Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, along with Christmas Day, Palm Sunday, Easter and the Islamic New Year.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
