The Litmus Test of True Holiness
It was the morning of Yom Kippur in the Belarusian town of Liadi, and the synagogue was packed. The Alter Rebbe (1745–1812), founder of the Chabad movement, stood at the front of the room wrapped in his tallit and white kittel, leading the congregation. His melody and intensity swept the room into another dimension—a palpable atmosphere of awe and transcendent holiness.
Then, without warning, he stopped.
Sandy Koufax, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Yom Kippur
October 6, 1965, the first game of the '65 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Minnesota Twins. It's Yom Kippur night at Metropolitan Stadium, 47,797 in attendance. Sandy Koufax, lead pitcher of the LA Dodgers, refuses to play.
Koufax's refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur gained him the respect and admiration of many Jews. His courage gave many Jews the strength to not be ashamed of their Judaism.