For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 11, 2005

Presidential Message: Yom Kippur, 5766

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call unto Him while He is near.
Isaiah 55:6

Yom Kippur is the Sabbath of Sabbaths, the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar. On this day, Jews around the world reflect on their lives and give thanks to God for their many blessings. The Rabbis teach that on Yom Kippur, God holds open the gates of Heaven and listens to every word of every prayer. As those final prayers are shared and the Shofar is sounded, God remembers every name -- those living and those departed. In this moment, we draw near to God, sharing in the wonders of all creation and the miracle of all life.

Yom Kippur teaches us that we merit forgiveness and mercy through repentance, prayer, and acts of charity. May we have the strength to achieve all these things, so that we continue to build a more hopeful Nation and a more peaceful and free world.

Laura and I send our best wishes for a blessed day.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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