Message on the Observance of Yom Kippur, 1998

Warm greetings to all those observing Yom Kippur.

On the Day of Atonement, Jews across America and around the world fervently seek the blessing of forgiveness and reconciliation. The most solemn of Jewish holy days, Yom Kippur is a time of profound prayer, fasting, and selfexamination.

Amid the clamor and distraction of everyday life, Yom Kippur is a call for silence and reflection, a summons for believers to remember and repair their fundamental relationships with God and with their fellow human beings. It is a challenge to Jews and a reminder to Americans of all faiths to live our lives according to our beliefs: to have faith in God's mercy and to have the humility and strength of spirit to begin again.

Best wishes for a blessed and meaningful Yom Kippur.

BILL CLINTON