To Fast or Not to Fast on Yom Kippur: A Gentle Guide
This week a client asked me, “Should I fast for Yom Kippur?” My answer: “Well, what does it mean to you?”
For many, Yom Kippur and fasting are deeply connected. But for others—especially if you’ve been diagnosed with an eating disorder, feel uneasy about your relationship to food, or have any medical concern—the answer isn’t so simple.
One of my clients, who struggles to nourish herself on a daily basis, asked me this question with real concern. I told her: I’m not here to dictate your choices. But I am here to help you explore how fasting feels for you and whether it supports your health and spiritual practice—or harms it.
And here’s something really important: Jewish law (halakha) is clear. Pikuach nefesh—the obligation to preserve life and health—overrides fasting. That includes mental health, eating disorders, and any medical condition. Life and health always come first.
So how do you know if fasting is right—or harmful—for you? Here are some questions to guide your decision.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Current Recovery Status
Am I actively in recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating?
Have I recently struggled with restriction, binging, or compulsive exercise?
If yes, fasting may reinforce harmful patterns.
Medical & Mental Health Guidance
Has my treatment team (therapist, dietitian, physician, rabbi if relevant) recommended against fasting?
Do I experience medical instability (fainting, dizziness, low heart rate, electrolyte issues) that fasting could worsen?
Motivation Check
Do I want to fast as a spiritual practice—or am I using it as a socially acceptable way to restrict?
If the “pull” toward fasting feels more about weight, control, or fear of eating than about faith, that’s a red flag.
Impact on Functioning
Will fasting make it impossible for me to pray, reflect, or engage meaningfully in the holiday?
If I know I’ll spend the day thinking only about food (or fighting urges), fasting may prevent the true intention of Yom Kippur.
Religious Perspective
Jewish law exempts children, people who are ill, pregnant or postpartum individuals, and anyone for whom fasting is unsafe. An eating disorder is an illness. Breaking the fast to preserve health is not only permitted—it’s required.
Alternatives to Fasting
Yom Kippur can be deeply meaningful without food restriction. Here are ways to observe that support both your health and your spiritual practice:
Modify Instead of Abstain
Eat simple, plain foods instead of festive meals.
Shorten mealtimes or reduce variety, but still nourish your body.
“Fast” from Something Else
Step away from social media, technology, or another distraction that pulls you from reflection.
Dedicate time to prayer, meditation, or journaling.
Engage in Community & Ritual
Attend services (in person or online).
Participate in readings, prayers, or discussions that focus on forgiveness, renewal, and reflection.
Plan a meaningful Break Fast—something to look forward to with loved ones.
Set an Intention
Choose a theme for the day (forgiveness, compassion, return, renewal).
Write reflections or prayers that align with teshuvah (repentance and return).
Not fasting may, in fact, be the most powerful way you can honor Yom Kippur this year. Choosing to care for your body and mental health is not “opting out”—it’s practicing the deepest form of respect for the life you’ve been given.
Start the Jewish New Year by acknowledging your needs, choosing health, and remembering that observance is about meaning, not deprivation.