Yom Kippur For Kids

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement falls on the eve of the tenth day after Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). That's when the fast begins too. It's a big one.......twenty-five + hours! This year, 2008 Yom Kippur starts at sundown, Wednesday October 8th and ends Thursday evening, October 9th with the sound of the shofar (ram's horn trumpet).

I found Sound the Shofar! A Story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at the library today. It's written by Leslie Kimmelman and geared for children ages 3-6 with simple and colorful illustrations by John Himmelman. You can click the link above to view/read the book.

Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the year, a day of fasting and prayers. On this day, Jews refrain from work. It is also customary to wear white, no washing, bathing or cosmetics and no leather shoes.

The day before Yom Kippur is devoted to eating traditional foods like potato kreplach, chicken soup with matzo balls and especially sweet foods like round challah bread and apples dipped in honey, sweet potato soup, pumpkin kugel and ice cream, to symbolize the "sweetness and good fortune" of the new year ahead. My mother gave me a wonderful cookbook with over 100 Jewish family recipes called At Oma's Table by Doris Schechter. It has the BEST menus for all the Jewish holidays and every day life intertwined with sweet little family stories.

Here's a sweet and messy clip of Yom Kippur for Kids. Sound the shofar!