Yes, I do understand that but I hadn't known that Judaism had any thoughts about purgatory. I didn't even know they used that word.
Rabbi Naftali Brawer:
There is a key argument in the Talmud regarding the length of sentence in Gehinom for sinners and the widely accepted view is that with rare exception the longest sentence does not exceed twelve months. In this sense Gehinom is more like purgatory than eternal damnation.
Source: The Jewish Chronicle Online, August 25, 2011