Teacher's Guide to the Jewish High Holidays

✡️ What Are the High Holidays?

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The High Holidays (also called the High Holy Days or, in Hebrew, Yamim Noraim — "Days of Awe") are the most solemn and spiritually significant period in the Jewish calendar. They center on two holidays: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with ten days of reflection in between.

Quick Facts

When: The Hebrew month of Tishrei, which falls in September or October
Core Holidays: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), ten days apart
Also Includes: Elul (the preparatory month before), the Ten Days of Repentance, the Fast of Gedaliah, and Shabbat Shuvah
Central Themes: Reflection, repentance (teshuvah), forgiveness, renewal, and accountability
Tone: Unlike many festive Jewish holidays, this season is reflective and solemn rather than celebratory — its joy is quieter, rooted in hope and renewal rather than festivity

Why This Matters for Educators

For many Jewish families, the High Holidays are the most religiously significant days of the year — even more central than Hanukkah, which is much more visible in American popular culture because of its timing near Christmas. Students may be absent from school for one or more of these days, and it is worth understanding why before planning your calendar.

Because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar (based on both the moon and the sun), the Gregorian calendar date of the High Holidays shifts from year to year, though they always fall in September or October.

📯 Elul: The Month of Preparation

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The Hebrew month before Rosh Hashanah, called Elul, is set aside as a month of introspection and preparation. Rather than the High Holidays beginning abruptly, Jewish tradition builds toward them gradually, giving people time to reflect before the year turns.

Traditions During Elul

The shofar (ram's horn) is blown at the end of morning services on weekdays throughout Elul, as a kind of spiritual "wake-up call" ahead of the New Year.
Selichot — special penitential prayers — are recited, in some communities daily throughout the month, and in Ashkenazi communities beginning at midnight on the Saturday before Rosh Hashanah.
It is customary to increase tzedakah (charitable giving) during this time.
People are encouraged to seek out anyone they may have wronged during the year and ask forgiveness directly — repairing relationships with people is considered a necessary step before seeking forgiveness from God.

🏫 Classroom Connection

Elul's emphasis on preparing for reflection — rather than reflecting all at once — is a wonderful model for students of all ages: the idea that meaningful change takes practice and doesn't happen overnight.

🍎 Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year

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Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew for "beginning of the year") marks the first and second days of the month of Tishrei. It is considered the anniversary of the creation of the world and the day human beings were created, and it sets the calendar for the Jewish year, including sabbatical and jubilee years.

A Day of Judgment and Renewal

Traditional teaching describes Rosh Hashanah as a day of judgment, when a person's deeds from the past year are considered. Some liturgical imagery describes a "Book of Life" being opened — a metaphor for taking stock of one's actions, not a literal ledger. Importantly, Jewish tradition teaches that this judgment is not final on Rosh Hashanah itself; there is still time to reflect and change course before Yom Kippur, ten days later.

Key Rituals

Blowing the shofar: The ram's horn is sounded in a series of distinct calls during the synagogue service — considered a central commandment of the day.
Tashlich: In the afternoon, many Jews walk to a body of flowing water — a river, lake, or sea — and symbolically "cast off" their sins, sometimes by tossing breadcrumbs or pebbles into the water while reciting prayers.
Extended prayer services: Synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah are longer than on a typical Shabbat.

Foods and Symbols

                        Apples dipped in honey: Eaten while wishing one another a "sweet new year"
Round challah bread: Baked in a circular shape (rather than the usual braided loaf) to symbolize the cycle of the year and the hope for continuity
Pomegranates: Often eaten as a new fruit of the season; a folk tradition holds that a pomegranate contains 613 seeds, matching the traditional count of commandments in the Torah
Greeting: "Shanah Tovah" (a good year) or "L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu" (may you be inscribed for a good year)

                    

⏳ The Ten Days of Repentance

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The ten days spanning from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance or the Days of Awe. Jewish tradition holds that while judgment is pronounced on Rosh Hashanah, it does not become final until Yom Kippur — making these ten days a genuine opportunity to reflect, make amends, and change course.

Notable Days Within the Ten Days

The Fast of Gedaliah falls on the third day of Tishrei, commemorating the assassination of a governor of ancient Judea and mourning the loss of Jewish self-governance that followed.
Shabbat Shuvah ("the Sabbath of Return") is the Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Its special Haftarah portion begins with the words "Shuvah Yisrael" ("Return, O Israel"), and rabbis traditionally deliver an extended sermon on this day.

💭 The Concept of Teshuvah

The Hebrew word for repentance, teshuvah, literally means "return" or "turning." It is a much deeper concept than simply saying "I'm sorry" — it involves genuinely recognizing wrongdoing, making amends with the people affected, and committing to act differently going forward. This is a rich concept to explore with older students in the context of social-emotional learning.

🕯️ Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement

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Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement") is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It falls on the tenth day of Tishrei and begins at sunset the evening before (known as Erev Yom Kippur), lasting about 25 hours until nightfall the next day.

How Yom Kippur Is Observed

Fasting: Observant adult Jews refrain from eating and drinking for the full 25 hours. This is one of the most widely observed Jewish practices, even among Jews who are not otherwise strictly observant.
Extended prayer: There are five distinct prayer services across the holiday — one in the evening, known as Kol Nidre, and four more throughout the following day.
Ne'ilah: The final service of the day, recited only on Yom Kippur. It symbolizes the closing of the "gates of heaven" and offers a last opportunity for prayer and reflection before the holiday ends.
Breaking the fast: After nightfall, families and communities gather to share a meal together, often with foods like bagels, blintzes, or other comforting dishes.

⚠️ Important Note on Fasting for Educators

Fasting on Yom Kippur is a serious religious practice, generally observed by adults and, in many communities, by children once they reach bar/bat mitzvah age (around 12–13). It is not appropriate to simulate fasting as a classroom activity, ask students to describe what fasting "feels like" on the spot, or treat it as a novelty. If a Jewish student in your class is fasting (typically only older elementary students, if any), simply be aware and accommodating — for instance, not making a fuss about lunchtime.

A Day of Solemn Reflection, Not Sadness

While Yom Kippur is serious and solemn, Jewish tradition does not consider it a "sad" holiday. It is often described as a day of spiritual cleansing and hopeful renewal — many people describe feeling lighter, not heavier, once it concludes.

🌾 What Comes After: A Bridge to Sukkot

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Just a few days after Yom Kippur, the mood shifts from solemn reflection to joyful celebration with the harvest festival of Sukkot, when families build and eat meals in temporary outdoor huts (sukkahs). The seventh day of Sukkot, called Hoshana Rabbah, includes a distinctive ritual in which worshippers take bundles of willow branches — symbolizing sins that may have been overlooked during Yom Kippur — and strike them against the floor while reciting a final prayer for forgiveness.

Teaching Note: Sukkot is a rich, joyful harvest festival in its own right and deserves its own dedicated exploration with students. This guide focuses on the High Holidays proper (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur); consider it a natural next step if your class continues learning about the Jewish fall holiday season.

🏫 Teaching About the High Holidays: Cultural Sensitivity

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✅ DO:

Present the High Holidays as reflective and meaningful, not simply "the Jewish New Year party"
Acknowledge that Jewish observance varies widely — Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and secular Jewish families may observe very differently
Check your school calendar and avoid scheduling major tests, field trips, or events on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur
Recognize that students may be absent for one or more days and treat these as excused, planned absences, similar to other major religious holidays
Emphasize universal, transferable themes: reflection, apology, forgiveness, and starting fresh
Use accurate terminology (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, shofar, teshuvah) rather than approximations

❌ DON'T:

Assume all Jewish students celebrate identically, or ask a single student to "explain" Judaism to the class
Simulate fasting or other rituals as a classroom activity (see note below on Yom Kippur fasting)
Treat the High Holidays as a minor or exotic curiosity — for many families, they are the most important days of the year
Confuse Rosh Hashanah with a purely festive "party" new year like January 1st or Lunar New Year
Reduce teshuvah to simply "saying sorry"
Schedule graded assessments on these days without accommodation

A Note on Diversity Within Judaism

Jewish communities are ethnically and culturally diverse, including Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other traditions, each with its own customs, pronunciations, and melodies for the holidays. Avoid presenting any single family's practice as "the" Jewish way of observing the High Holidays.

📊 Age-Appropriate Teaching Approaches

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Grades K–1

Simple framing: "Some of your classmates' families celebrate a special new year in the fall — they blow a special horn, and they eat apples with honey while wishing for a 'sweet new year' and thinking about being their best selves"
Let students listen to a recording of a shofar and talk about how it sounds
Simple idea of "starting fresh" — like a clean page in a new notebook
Avoid discussing fasting or judgment themes at this age

Grades 2–3

Introduce the two-holiday structure: Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (a quieter day of reflection), ten days apart
Explain tashlich in simple terms: symbolically letting go of mistakes, like tossing them into a river
Introduce the idea of teshuvah as "making things right," including apologizing and trying to do better
Discuss the shofar's purpose as a "wake-up call" for reflection

Grades 4–5

Explore the Ten Days of Repentance and the concept of the "Days of Awe" in more depth
Discuss Yom Kippur's fast respectfully as an act of spiritual discipline, without simulation
Compare the lunisolar Hebrew calendar to the Gregorian calendar
Discuss diversity within Judaism (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi; denominational differences)
Connect the themes of accountability and renewal to students' own lives and communities

🎨 Cross-Curricular Activities

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📖 Language Arts

New Year's letter: Write a letter to your future self to open next year, reflecting on hopes and goals — a secular echo of the reflective spirit of Rosh Hashanah
Apology and repair writing: Explore what makes an apology meaningful (grades 4-5), connecting to the concept of teshuvah
Vocabulary study: Explore Hebrew loanwords and their meanings (shofar, teshuvah, tzedakah)

🔬 Science

Sound and the shofar: Explore how sound is produced by a hollow horn, and how vibration and breath create different pitches (grades 2-5)
Apple and pomegranate study: Examine seeds inside an apple or pomegranate; compare their structures; discuss seasonal fall harvests
Calendars and cycles: Introduce how the Hebrew calendar tracks both the moon and the sun (grades 4-5)

🌍 Social Studies

World New Year Mosaic: Compare how different cultures mark a new year (Rosh Hashanah, Lunar New Year, Nowruz, January 1st) and build a class calendar of celebrations
Map study: Locate Jewish communities around the world and discuss the diversity of Jewish cultural traditions
Community accountability: Discuss how communities (not just individuals) can reflect and "start fresh," connecting to classroom or school community norms

🎨 Art

Pomegranate art: Paint or collage a pomegranate cut in cross-section, exploring pattern and texture
Round challah drawing: Discuss why the challah is round instead of braided for Rosh Hashanah, and illustrate it
"Fresh start" class banner: Each student contributes one goal or hope for the year ahead to a collaborative class mural

💬 Discussion Questions by Grade Level

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K-1st Grade

What are some foods that taste sweet? Why might people eat sweet foods to wish for a "sweet new year"?
What does a horn sound like? Why might people use a special sound to mark an important day?

2nd-3rd Grade

Why do you think it might be helpful to have a special day set aside just for saying sorry and trying to do better?
Tashlich is about letting go of a mistake after trying to make it right — what's one small mistake you could try to fix, so you could let it go with a fresh start?

4th-5th Grade

Why might Jewish tradition give people ten full days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, instead of judging everything in a single day?
How is the idea of teshuvah different from just saying "I'm sorry"? Can you think of a time repairing something meant more than an apology?
Why is it important for teachers and schools to know about religious holidays like these, even if they aren't holidays everyone in the class celebrates?

👪 Inviting Family Guests to Share Their Traditions

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If you have students whose families observe the High Holidays, consider inviting a parent, guardian, or grandparent to share their family's traditions with the class. Centering the voices of community members themselves is one of the most powerful forms of culturally responsive teaching.

Before Inviting a Guest

Ask families privately and without pressure — not every family will be comfortable or available to participate
Make clear that no religious expertise is expected; the goal is sharing personal and family experience, not delivering a formal lesson
Ask the guest what they'd feel comfortable sharing and what they'd prefer to keep private
Remember that Jewish families differ widely in observance and background — one family's experience is not "the" Jewish experience

Suggestions for Guest Visits

                        ✦ Ideas for What Guests Might Share
                        A shofar: Show the instrument (if available) and demonstrate or describe its sound
Food: Share apples and honey, round challah, or pomegranates (check for allergies first)
Family stories: Talk about how their family observes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and any traditions passed down through generations
Language: Teach students the greeting "Shanah Tovah" (a good year) — some Sephardi and Mizrahi families instead say "Tizku LeShanim Rabbot" (may you merit many years)
Tashlich: Describe or show photos of the tradition of casting off the past year's mistakes near a body of water

                    

Preparing Your Students

Teach students the basics before the visit so they can engage with genuine curiosity rather than starting from zero
Prepare thoughtful, respectful questions in advance as a class
Follow up with a thank-you note or class reflection after the visit

🔤 Glossary of Key Terms

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Term	Meaning
Rosh Hashanah	"Beginning of the year" — the Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur	"Day of Atonement" — the holiest day of the Jewish year
Yamim Noraim	"Days of Awe" — the collective name for this High Holiday season
Shofar	A ram's horn blown as a spiritual call to reflection
Teshuvah	"Return" or "turning" — the process of repentance and repair
Tzedakah	Charitable giving, considered a religious obligation
Selichot	Penitential prayers recited before and during the High Holidays
Tashlich	The ritual of symbolically casting off sins at a body of water
Kol Nidre	The evening prayer service that opens Yom Kippur
Ne'ilah	The closing prayer service of Yom Kippur
Tishrei	The Hebrew month in which the High Holidays fall

📚 Recommended Books and Resources

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Picture Books (PreK-2)

"Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah" by Sylvia A. Rouss
"Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year" by Eric A. Kimmel
"What a Way to Start a New Year! A Rosh Hashanah Story" by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Judy Stead (Kar-Ben)
"Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story" by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Zara González Hoang (Abrams) — a reflective "take stock of the year" narrative, good for K-3

Teacher Background Resources

My Jewish Learning (myjewishlearning.com) — accessible background articles on Jewish holidays and practice
PJ Library (pjlibrary.org) — free Jewish children's books and family resources, including holiday guides
Local synagogues and rabbis are often glad to answer educator questions or provide classroom visits

⭐ Key Takeaways for Teachers

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                        The most sacred days: For many Jewish families, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — not Hanukkah — are the most religiously significant days of the year.
Plan around them: Check your school calendar and avoid scheduling major assessments or events on these days; students may have excused absences.
Reflection over celebration: This season is defined by introspection, repentance, and renewal, not festive celebration — approach it with a respectful, quieter tone.
Teshuvah is more than "sorry": The Jewish concept of repentance involves genuine reflection, repair, and changed behavior — a powerful, transferable lesson for students of any background.
Diversity within Judaism: Observance varies widely across Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and denominational lines — avoid treating any single family's practice as universal.
No simulation of ritual: Practices like fasting should be explained respectfully, never simulated or trivialized in the classroom.

                    

📝 Citations, References and Further Reading

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Primary Sources:

Wikipedia contributors. High Holy Days. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Holy_Days

Content adapted under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Boyd, S. L. (2021, updated). What are the Jewish High Holy Days? A look at Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and a month of celebrating renewal and moral responsibility. The Conversation. Retrieved from theconversation.com

Republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

About Dr. Samuel L. Boyd:

Dr. Samuel L. Boyd is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in the Bible and the ancient world.