Today, the hustle and bustle of traffic, honking horns and police sirens are gone. Every store is closed, every car is still and everything is quiet. People could even take naps in the middle of streets or highways.
Corey Gillman, president of the Ball State University Hillel organization, wouldn't recommend that in Muncie.
"In Israel, everything shuts down today," he said. "That is nearly impossible to do here."
Today is Yom Kippur, or "Day of Atonement," for Jewish people around the world. It is the most sacred and solemn day of the Jewish year, according to a BBC Religions and Ethics article.
Everything starts with the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, which began on Friday, Sept. 18 at sundown. (Instead of the new year being 2010, it is actually 5770 in the Jewish lunar calendar, according to Gillman).
This holiday commemorates the creation of the world, but also serves as a judgment day, in which each person begins to repent for their sins and their communities' sins from the past year.
"You want to repent your sins so your name can be inscribed in the Book of Life," Gillman said. "You want good things to happen. If you're forgiven, you're going to be okay for next year."
After Rosh Hashanah, there are about 10 days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur.
"[Yom Kippur] is like a confessional, but different. There is no real confession, it's more internal and it publicly takes place once a year," Gillman said.
Yom Kippur brings the Days of Repentance to a close, and God makes his final decision for each person and the Book of Life is closed and sealed, according to the BBC.
Since Yom Kippur is the final day to repent, Jews are required to fast - not eat or drink - for 25 hours. They cannot drive cars or work, they do not wear perfume or makeup, they abstain from sex and they cannot bathe or wear leather shoes.
During the synagogue services, men wear yarmulkes, or skullcaps, and sometimes wear a tallis, or special prayer shawl.
It is also customary to wear white as a symbol of purity.
Once the sun sets tonight, Jewish people will attend the services provided at the synagogue and then break their fast afterward.
However, there are varying degrees as to how closely these rules are followed.
According to Gillman, there are three main types of Judaism. Orthodox Jews abide by the Torah, or the first part of the Jewish bible, word for word. This type is practiced mostly in Israel. No one drives, so many people must walk to the closest synagogue for Yom Kippur.
The second type is Conservative, where most of the rules are abided by, but they are more flexible than Orthodox.
The third type is Reformed, where the rules are the most relaxed. This is the most common type of Judaism in America. People can still follow Yom Kippur guidelines and fast, but they can still drive a car to their synagogue.
"It is next to impossible to be Orthodox in America," Gillman said.
In Muncie, Temple Beth El is an example of a Reformed Judaism synagogue.
Linoy Zarfati, from Moshav Amikam, Israel, said at first she did not think she could change from an Orthodox to a Reformed synagogue.
"I didn't think I would have a connection here, but I definitely do," she said.
Fasting and Testing
"Tapohac, tapohac," two-year-old Lyrie Zarfati said in Hebrew, as she reaches for an apple from her mother.
"Children under the age of 12 or 13 are not required to fast," Linoy Zarfati said as she closed the refrigerator in one of the rooms of Temple Beth El.
However, fasting for 25 hours can make it hard for older, Jewish students to concentrate during classes, Gillman said.
"I'm skipping all my classes today," Gillman said. "I had to talk to all my professors beforehand and rescheduled a math test. I could sit and try to pay attention, but focusing is not going to happen."
Hillel
Gillman is president of Hillel, Ball State's only Jewish organization. However, you do not have to be Jewish to become involved.
Their weekly meetings (which alternate between Tuesdays and Thursdays each week), revolve around learning more about their religion, common Hebrew phrases and discussions on news topics.
"It helps provide a community for Jewish students to hang out and get a sense of identity," he said. "But it also helps answer questions that people might have about our religion."
According to their Web site, Hillel has hosted past events including a Sit Out for Sukkah, a Hanukkah gift exchange, Shabbat dinners and Jewish Heritage Week during Spring Semesters.
However, because of the lack of students participating in the organization, it is hard for them to organize new events for this year, Gillman said.
"Sometimes religion is forced upon you when you're young," Gillman said. "Once college starts, students are able to ditch their religion. There is no pressure from parents. Parents might tell their kids to join Hillel, but they don't have to."
Co-adviser of Hillel and Assistant Director of Admissions for Publications Gerry Appel said he is optimistic about the students in Hillel this year, but chose to participate in Yom Kippur without them.
"My gift to them was to spend Rosh Hashanah with them but not Yom Kippur because I get a little grumpy when I'm hungry," he admitted. "[Yom Kippur] is generally a time to be somber; there is a tone of repentance. It might not be a fun event, but it's necessary. You feel better afterwards."
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