Historic Diamond Bakery preps for Yom Kippur

Diamond Bakery in the Fairfax District, which first opened in 1946, is prepping for the end of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, when observers who have been fasting for 25 hours in accordance with tradition finally break their fast at sundown on Monday to eat traditional foods.

Yom Kippur is the end of the of Jewish New Year, Diamond Bakery’s current steward Douglas Weinstein explained, a time for the bakery to prepare foods symbolic of the circle of life.

“We’re making round challah, sometimes braided round challah to signify the intertwining of all of us, all life and since we’re fasting, it’s to break the fast. So, we’ll be repenting all day tomorrow and we’ll be breaking the fast in our clean new being,” he said.

Historic Diamond Bakery in Fairfax District preps for Yom Kippur

Along with challah, Weinstein says there’s apple strudel, honey cake and all other types of delicious traditional treats, adding that Jewish baking is an outgrowth of Eastern European immigration to the United States.

“This style baking is mostly the Ashkenazi or the Eastern Europeans,” he said.

The building that houses Diamond Bakery has had a bakery in it continuously for more than 75 years.

“We’ve got three, four generations of customers,” Weinstein said. “There’s a lot of history and tradition tied up in what we do. It’s nice to be a part of that.

KTLA Photojournalist Phil Ige reports.

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