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COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Teenager Bethany Smith spent Sunday morning with her friends and family preparing for a day of self-reflection and a time to purge one self from bad choices made throughout the year.

“If there is anyone that you hurt, go out and apologize. Work out any issues you've been having,” says Bethany Smith.

Tuesday Jews across the nation will take part in Yom Kippur which is the Day of Atonement.

The holiday comes off the heels of the Jewish New Year last week called Rosh Hashanah.

According to the Torah which is the Jews sacred text, Yom Kippur is a time to ask God for forgiveness of sins and it's also a time for fasting.

Rabbi Daniel Sherman says fasting symbolizes self-control in the New Year.

"The goal is not to commit the same sins we did this past year. That requires will power and discipline so by fasting for an entire day we are testing ourselves,” says Rabbi Sherman.

Bethany says it’s good that plenty of Jewish children and teens are getting involved in the holiday and trying to determine what mistakes they've committed themselves.

“One of my best friends, I got into a huge falling out so I’ve spent the last few days trying to get back in touch,” says Smith.

She says it can also be difficult for some students because some Jewish holidays fall on a school day.

Rabbi Sherman says it's holidays like this that call for all within the Jewish faith to come together and take part in the holiday at the synagogue.  

Sherman says this holiday will also end with the sounding of the Shofar which is an actual ramshorn. It’s equivalent to the trumpet.

Yom Kippur ends Wednesday night. 

Rabbi Sherman says he's encouraging those who are fasting to bring food to the synagogue, so that they can donate that food to Harvest Hope Food Bank or Mazon which is a Jewish nonprofit organization helping to stop hunger here and across the world.