Yom Kippur in Amman, Jordan

Atoning my sins in Amman, Jordan was certainly very different than my past Yom Kippurs. I did not buy a new outfit for services; I did not have plans for breaking the fast. Instead, I observed Yom Kippur without anyone else in my presence even knowing it.
Jerusalem is roughly 45 miles away from Amman, yet I spent my day here going about my regular life as a study abroad student. If it weren’t for the updates from my mother about her plans for the holiday, I may not have even remembered it was Yom Kippur, honestly. Fortunately though, I did. I fasted as per usual, but it was harder this time because my friends and I detoured our trip home from the mall to a souk with deliciously ripe dates, figs, melons, etc that made my mouth water. Additionally, I read several prayers online, but it wasn’t really possible to feel like my commemoration of this day was even close to equivalent to the endless hours I usually spend at temple this time of year.
While I feel slightly guilty for not atoning the “right” or “usual” way, I think it was suitable for my current situation. Though Jordan and Israel are on okay terms, Jordanians are overwhelmed with ideas from all of the other Middle Eastern countries about Jews. In fact at orientation last week, the program director advised us Jews to keep our religion a secret while traveling throughout the Middle East. Although I was already planning to do this, it is much harder than one would think. Religion really is such a crucial component to everyday life in Jordan. Five times a day (including at dawn) the call to prayer resonates nearly everywhere. Additionally, everything runs on a weekday schedule of Sunday to Thursday. Most of the Jordanian culture, which as a foreigner it is best to respect, is based on Islam. This unusual Yom Kippur recognition is just the start to my lifestyle as a Jew in Amman, and really, as a Jew outside of any northeastern United States area for that matter.