Tag Archives: Jewish Holiday

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur also known as the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.

Yom Kippur is considered one of the holiest of Jewish holidays and it is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews fast and attend synagogue on Yom Kippur, where the number of worshippers attending is often double or triple the normal attendance.

This year Yom Kippur begins at sundown this evening and ends on Wednesday evening.  Please pass along a little information to your au pairs who are with Jewish families, it’s nice for them to know that this is such an important holiday.

Here are a couple of links with more information:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/yom-kippur

http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/yomkippur.htm

and for children http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/yomkippur/yomkippur.php

Happy New Year

 rosh hashanah

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish Holiday commonly referred to as the Jewish New Year.  It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the high Holidays specifically set aside to focus on repentance that concludes with the holiday of Yom Kippur.  Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar.  It is the New Year for people, animals, and legal contracts. Jewish people believe Rosh Hashanah represents either analogically or literally the creation of the World, or Universe.

On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people all over the world gather in synagogues to celebrate the day.  The holiday is celebrated with sweet foods, like apples dipped in honey and honey cake and round Challot made with honey and raisins as a wish for a sweet year.

Here is a link to children’s games and activities to celebrate the holiday.  It includes information, art projects, crafts, stories and recipes:

http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354744/jewish/Rosh-Hashanah.htm

Rosh Hashanah will is celebrated for two days, Monday September 17th and Tuesday September 18th.  The two day holiday will begin at sundown on Sunday evening.  We wish all of our Jewish counselors, staff, host families, au pairs, and friends a very Happy Holiday.