"The United Nations on Thursday recognized the Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur - as an official holiday, following diplomatic efforts by Israel with American support.
The Israeli delegation to the United Nations touted the achievement as the culmination of a joint effort by Ambassador Danny Danon and US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power. Israel launched a campaign in May 2014 to make Yom Kippur a UN holiday.
Yom Kippur now joins the Christian holidays of Christmas and Good Friday and the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in the list of 11 official UN holidays. The six others are major US holidays - New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
No official meetings will take place on the Jewish High Holiday, and Jewish UN employees can observe the holiday without forfeiting a day of vacation.
'Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish People, and the UN should have recognized this holiday many years ago. Today we finally have an official place for the Jewish religion in the World's parliament,' Danon said..."