You stop eating for Yom Kippur shortly before the holiday begins at sundown, and you may eat again only after Yom Kippur ends at night, once it is fully dark and the fast has officially finished, according to local halachic times.

Core timing in simple terms

  • The fast starts shortly before sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur (the 9th of Tishrei), not after dark. Many communities “add” a bit of time and stop eating several minutes before sundown as an extra safeguard and mitzvah.
  • You can eat again only once the fast ends the next evening, after nightfall, when a certain number of stars are visible or when the published Yom Kippur end time has passed for your city.

In practice, people use:

  • A local Jewish calendar, synagogue schedule, or reliable website that publishes:
    • “Candle lighting / fast begins” time (last chance to eat)
    • “Fast ends” time (when you may eat again)

If you cannot safely fast

Judaism places pikuach nefesh (protecting life and health) above fasting:

  • If a doctor says fasting is unsafe (e.g., serious illness, certain medications, pregnancy complications, eating disorders), you are required to eat or drink as needed, ideally after consulting a competent rabbinic authority.
  • Many guides suggest, when medically possible, eating and drinking in small measured amounts at intervals (for example, small bites or sips every several minutes), but this only applies if a doctor and rabbi agree it is safe and appropriate for your situation.

What “breaking the fast” looks like

  • The first post–Yom Kippur meal is usually called the “break fast,” often with light foods like bagels, spreads, fruit, and simple dishes so the body eases back into eating.
  • Conventional advice is not to overeat immediately, especially after a 25-hour fast, but to start gently and hydrate.

How to find your exact times

Because Yom Kippur times depend on date and location :

  1. Look up a reliable Jewish calendar or synagogue website for your city for this year’s:
    • Fast start time (last moment to eat)
    • Fast end time (when you may eat again)
  1. Follow those listed times rather than estimating sunset/nightfall on your own.

Quick recap

  • Stop eating: shortly before sunset at the start of Yom Kippur, using your local “fast begins” time.
  • Start eating again: only after nightfall the next day, using your local “fast ends” time.
  • If fasting is unsafe: health comes first; eat as directed by a doctor and, where possible, a rabbi, using measured amounts only if that is medically safe and halachically advised.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.