TEL AVIV, Israel  — There’s a special quiet that descends on Jewish communities around the world on Yom Kippur, a feeling profoundly different from the noisy tumult of everyday life.

Also known as the Day of Judgment, this holiest day of the year is characterized by prayer and fasting; the very last chance to atone for transgressions in the previous year, before the faithful’s fate is sealed in the Big Book for the year to come.

The final meal before the fast is eaten before sundown. And because it’s a long fast (sundown to sundown plus 1 hour, this year Oct. 1-Oct. 2), it’s always a challenge to design a menu that will be festive and satisfying without causing indigestion or thirst.

One of the most traditional foods at a pre-fast dinner is chicken — often in the form of soup. The custom probably dates back to the ancient Kapparot ceremony on the eve of Yom Kippur (still performed in ultra-Orthodox communities), when a live chicken was grabbed by the legs, and swung around the head of a man, woman or child, with a prayer that the chicken absorb the person’s sins.

Rather than waste it, the same sinful chicken was subsequently eaten for dinner — sort of like eating a humble chicken pie.

Like most holidays, except Passover, Yom Kippur was inspiration for bakers in centuries past to develop symbolic forms for their holiday challah. Designs included a spiral challah with a little dough key shape on top (to open up the gates of heaven); birds (to carry prayers on high); and hands in blessing (symbolic of the High Priest’s prayer as described in the Talmud).

The first foods to break the fast differ among Jews around the world.

Ashkenazi Jews often serve a sweet cake, while Sephardic Jews may munch on little round biscuits like mini-bagels with sesame seeds and spices to soothe the stomach, along with a cup of sweetened tea.

Iraqi Jews sip hariri, a sweetened almond milk (also quite easy to digest), along with some kind of sweet or savory pastries. Some Turkish, Bulgarian and Greek Jews break their fast with pepitada, a sweetened drink made with melon seeds, together with savory pastries called bourekas.

After the fast, many people prefer to start with a dairy meal, including bagels and assorted pickled or smoked fish. In the Sephardic world, it is customary to break the fast with a dairy meal at sundown, and wait several hours before consuming a heavier meat meal.

North African Jews might also plunge into a bowl of harirah, a thick beef, chickpea and vegetable soup learned in the old country from their Muslim neighbors who consumed it to break the fast of Ramadan, which occasionally falls at the same time.

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The following easy-to-prepare dish combines three biblical flavors — figs, olive oil and honey — to create a satisfying meal that’s a delight to the senses, served with Herbed Rice and Seasoned Currants (recipe also follows).

The chicken and rice are ideal for the prefast dinner. But note that leftovers of the dish may be reheated in the microwave, for those who would prefer that rather than a dairy after-the-fast menu.

Fragrant Chicken

with Figs

(With Herbed Rice and Seasoned Currants)

One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, whole or cut into pieces

12 dried figs

1 1/2 cups muscatel wine (see note)

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

Rinse the chicken and place in a bowl. Pour boiling water over to cover and let stand for a 2 to 3 minutes. Using a sharp knife, scrape the skin to remove excess surface fat. Pat dry and set aside.

Rinse the figs and snip off the tops with scissors. Place chicken and figs in a single layer in a large roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix wine, honey, cinnamon, coriander, salt and pepper and bay leaves and pour over chicken. Cover and marinate for 1 to 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Roast chicken, basting and turning occasionally, until it is tender and brown, about 1 hour. Serve chicken and figs with a little pan juice poured on top. (May be prepared several hours in advance and reheated in the oven. Leftovers may be reheated the next day in the microwave).

Makes 6 servings.

Note: Muscatel wine is the rich, sweet dessert wine made from muscat grapes, and having some of their musky flavor.

Rice, a millennia-old symbol of fertility, not only in Judaism, symbolizes the desire for a good and productive year to come.

Herbed Rice With Seasoned Currants

For Seasoned Currants:

1 cup currants, rinsed and dried

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, pressed

Freshly ground black pepper

For Herbed Rice:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large)

2 cups long-grain rice

3 cups boiling water

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

For garnish: 3 or 4 tablespoons Seasoned Currants

Prepare the Seasoned Currants first, so they’ll have a chance to marinate: Mix the currants with the oil, vinegar, thyme and garlic. Season with a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper. Let stand at least 4 hours before serving. (Makes about 1 cup.)

To prepare the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and saute the onion on medium heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and saute for 1 or 2 minutes, until the grains are coated in oil.

Pour in the boiling water, season with cinnamon, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

Remove from heat and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. In a small pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the pine nuts till golden. Using a fork, stir the pine nuts, mint and parsley into the rice. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with Seasoned Currants.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: The seasoned currants may be made days before, and refreshed with a little olive oil when needed. Although only a few tablespoons are required for this recipe, the remainder may be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator, and used to garnish salads, vegetable dishes and meats in the weeks to come.

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These delicate little no-fat cookies are a healthy and tasty way to end the fast. Make them in advance and freeze if desired, and then serve straight to the table with no defrosting necessary. Mix these cookies with a fork — no mixer required.

They may be used to break the fast, or as a dessert at a pre-fast meal.

Little Almond Cookies

2 large egg whites ( 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or Amaretto liqueur

1/2 pound sliced blanched almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the egg whites lightly with a fork (do not beat) and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Transfer spoonfuls of the mixture to the prepared sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Flatten with the back of a spoon or a fork. Bake just until the cookies are golden and firm in the center. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then store in a tightly sealed container or in the freezer.

Makes 30 to 40 cookies.

(All recipes are adapted from “The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking” by Phyllis Glazer with Miriyam Glazer, Harper-Collins, 2004, $29.95)