Learning about Yom Kippur

Miss Gilbert and Mrs Goldsmith were delighted to welcome everyone to the hall for a special assembly exploring the significance of Yom Kippur, which means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew. It is the holiest and most solemn day of the year in Judaism and provides a time for reflection, forgiveness and making amends.

Miss Gilbert began by asking the pupils what they thought “atonement” meant. Their thoughtful responses led to a wonderful discussion about saying sorry when we have been unkind, repairing relationships and considering how we can become more thoughtful, caring and helpful. The pupils reflected on how these values can help us begin a new year with a happy and positive heart.

We learned that Yom Kippur comes at the end of the Ten Days of Repentance, which begin with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Families celebrate together and enjoy sweet foods, such as apples dipped in honey, symbolising the hope for a sweet year ahead. These ten days provide an opportunity to reflect on our actions, make amends and think about positive changes we can make.

The pupils were introduced to the Jewish tradition of The Book of Life. During this special time, people reflect on their actions, seek forgiveness and make a commitment to do better. Yom Kippur marks the closing of the Book of Life, bringing the period of reflection and repentance to a close and welcoming the New Year with hope for a happy and healthy year ahead.

The pupils also discovered that Jewish adults traditionally fast for around 25 hours on Yom Kippur, from before sunset until after nightfall the following day. This creates time to focus on prayer and reflection. Children do not fast but are encouraged to practise kindness, help at home and think about how to be good friends.

A particularly exciting part of the assembly was learning about the Shofar, a ram’s horn. The pupils listened to recordings of its different sounds and learned how its long, distinctive call marks the end of Yom Kippur. Rabbis traditionally wear white at this time, symbolising purity, peace and a fresh start.

Mrs Goldsmith then showed the pupils a Shofar and invited them to have a go at producing its special sound. She explained that it is surprisingly difficult, but Buddy, Leopold and Eloise bravely gave it a try, receiving enthusiastic applause from everyone!

Before Mrs Goldsmith had a go herself, she introduced three important Hebrew words. Everyone enjoyed repeating them and learning about their meaning:

• Teshuvah – repentance: reflecting on our actions, saying sorry and making positive changes.

• Tefillah – prayer: taking time to reflect, think about our actions and consider how we can do our best.

• Tzedakah – charity: caring about others and taking action to help those in need.  The pupils had the opportunity of sharing the different ways in which they had given to charity and how important it was to think about people that were not a fortunate as ourselves.

Finally, everyone held their breath as Mrs Goldsmith raised the Shofar to her lips. We were thrilled when she produced its wonderful, long call and celebrated her success with a huge round of applause!

It was a fascinating and memorable assembly, giving everyone a wonderful insight into Yom Kippur and the Jewish faith, while reminding us of values we can all embrace: kindness, reflection, forgiveness, generosity and caring for others.