Sweet as Honey: Picture Books About Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday celebrating the New Year. Key customs include blowing the shofar (a ram's horn), attending synagogue services, and eating symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey. Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and personal renewal, as people consider their actions and goals for the coming year. The shofar is blown to remind people of the passage of time and the importance of making positive changes. The synagogue services include special prayers and readings about the holiday's significance. The symbolic foods of apples dipped in honey represent the hope for a sweet and prosperous new year.

Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday known as the Day of Atonement. It is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism and is celebrated on the 10th day of Tishrei, usually in late September or early October. Yom Kippur is a time for reflection, introspection, and seeking forgiveness. Traditional observances include fasting, attending synagogue services, and confessing sins. While some Jewish denominations focus on religious concepts like atonement, others emphasize personal growth and goal-setting. It marks the end of the Ten Days of Repentance, a period of reflection and introspection leading up to the holiday.

Sukkot is a Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. Originally a harvest festival, Sukkot's modern observance is characterized by festive meals in a sukkah, a temporary hut, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word "sukkot" is the plural of "sukkah," which is a walled structure covered with plant material. A sukkah is reminiscent of the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived during their 40 years of travel in the desert.