Yom Kippur turns Israel’s roads into paradise for growing numbers of cyclists

Bike-riding on car-free streets has become a popular pastime on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar: in Israel, nearly half of the country fasts and refrains from using electricity. But for those not headed to the synagogue, an alternative Yom Kippur tradition has emerged in recent years.

As the sun went down on Sunday evening, Tel Aviv, Israel’s cosmopolitan and largely secular Mediterranean city, slowly came to a standstill. For around 24 hours, the city’s streets – normally groaning with traffic – become a paradise for cyclists and those on rollerblades, skateboards and scooters. The din of car horns is replaced by bicycle bells, birdsong, and the crashing of waves on the beach. Some people seize the opportunity to cycle from city to city on what are normally snarled motorways across the country.

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