When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, 2026, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, September 13, 2026 — two full days, the way Rosh Hashanah is observed in both Israel and the diaspora. The Hebrew year changes from 5786 to 5787 at that moment.

How do I explain Rosh Hashanah to a young child?

Two ideas a 5-year-old can hold: (1) it's the world's birthday — the day Jewish tradition says God finished creating Adam and Chavah — and (2) it's a fresh start for everybody, like the first day of school. Tradition says God writes everyone's name in a book for the new year on Rosh Hashanah, and what we ask for is to be written in for a sweet, healthy year. That's why we eat sweet foods. Skip the heavier 'Day of Judgment' framing for K–3 — it's developmentally rough and unnecessary.

What is Tashlich and do kids do it?

Tashlich (תַּשְׁלִיךְ — 'you shall cast') is a short ceremony done on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah (or the second day if the first is Shabbat). You walk to flowing water — a river, lake, or even the ocean — read a few verses from the prophet Micah, and symbolically 'cast away' the past year's mistakes. Many families bring breadcrumbs to throw, though traditionally it's a symbolic gesture, not an actual food offering. Kids love it; it's outside, it's tactile, and it's the most picture-book moment of the holiday.

Do I need to know Hebrew to teach this lesson?

No. Every Hebrew word in this guide is transliterated, with the meaning in English. The two short blessings (on apples + honey, and the Yehi Ratzon prayer) are short enough that you can read them in transliteration on the night. Over years of doing this, the Hebrew comes.

What's the greeting for Rosh Hashanah?

The classic greeting is Shanah Tovah (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה — 'good year'), said any time during the holiday and in the weeks leading up. A longer version: Shanah Tovah u'Metukah (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה — 'a good and sweet year'). At services or in a card, people sometimes write L'shanah Tovah Tikateivu (לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִּכָּתֵבוּ — 'may you be inscribed for a good year') — that's the most traditional written form.

How is this different from Yom Kippur?

Rosh Hashanah is the start of the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yamim Noraim, סָפֵר עֲשֶׂרֶת יְמֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה) — Yom Kippur is the climax 10 days later. Rosh Hashanah is celebratory: festive meals, sweet foods, family at the table, the shofar. Yom Kippur is solemn: fasting (for adults), prayer all day, no work. We have a separate Yom Kippur guide coming for K–3 families.

Notes from the Hub · free K–3 lesson

Rosh Hashanah for kids — a 30-minute lesson you can teach tonight.

Q: What time does the shofar get blown?

During the morning service on each of the two days of Rosh Hashanah, except when the first day falls on Shabbat — in that case, the shofar is only blown on the second day. The shofar is blown a total of 100 sounds across the morning service, in patterns called tekiah, shevarim, teruah, and tekiah gedolah (the long one at the end).

The shofar, apples and honey, the round challah, Tashlich by a stream, and the gentle big idea behind the day: it's the world's birthday, and it's a fresh start for everybody. Written for the homeschool parent who didn't grow up doing this — every Hebrew word transliterated, every step concrete, no prior Hebrew needed.

Ages 5–9 · K–3 Free guide ~30 minutes

Rosh Hashanah teaching scene — homeschool desk with notebook, pen, and tea, Hebrew Homeschool Hub

When is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, September 13, 2026 — two full days, in both Israel and the diaspora. The Hebrew year changes from 5786 to 5787 at sundown that Friday.

Need other years? See the 5-year Jewish holiday calendar.

What is Rosh Hashanah, in 30 seconds?

Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה — "Head of the Year") is the Jewish new year. It marks the day Jewish tradition says God finished creating Adam and Chavah — the world's birthday. It's also the start of the Aseret Yamim Noraim (the Ten Days of Repentance) that climax on Yom Kippur ten days later.

For a 5-year-old, two ideas are enough:

It's the world's birthday. God finished creating the first people on Rosh Hashanah, so we celebrate the world being made.
It's a fresh start for everybody. Like the first day of school. We think about who we want to be in the new year, and we ask for it to be sweet.

That's it. Skip the "Day of Judgment" framing — for K–3 it's developmentally too heavy and unnecessary. Hope, sweetness, fresh start, hear the shofar, eat apples in honey. That's the whole thing.

The 30-minute lesson plan

Designed so you can teach it tonight at the table, in a sitting. Adjust on the fly — younger kids = more apples-and-honey, older kids = more shofar and Tashlich.

The big idea (5 min)

Open with the world's-birthday framing. Show your child a picture of a birthday cake with candles next to a picture of Earth from space. Say: "Today is the birthday of the whole world. Jewish people have been celebrating this for thousands of years."

The shofar (5 min)

Look at a picture of a shofar (ram's horn). Play a one-minute YouTube clip of the four shofar sounds: tekiah, shevarim, teruah, tekiah gedolah. Ask: "How does it make you feel?" The shofar is meant to wake us up — a wake-up call for the new year.

Apples and honey (10 min)

Slice an apple. Put a small dish of honey on the table. Say the blessing (full text below — Hebrew + transliteration). Dip the apple in honey, eat it together, and say "We're asking for a sweet new year." This is the part kids remember forever.

The round challah (5 min)

Show a round challah (or a picture of one). Explain: "The challah is round on Rosh Hashanah — like a crown, because today God is like a king. And like a circle, because time keeps going around and around."

Tashlich at the water (5 min)

If you have a stream, river, lake, or even the ocean nearby — plan to walk there on the afternoon of the first day. Bring some breadcrumbs. Toss them gently into the water and explain: "We're letting go of the not-so-great things from last year, so we can start fresh." Even just looking at a picture of water and talking about letting go works for the home version.

The blessing on apples and honey

Said before you take the first bite of the apple-dipped-in-honey. It's actually two short steps: the standard fruit blessing, then a one-sentence wish for a sweet year.

Step 1 — The bracha for fruit

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,

בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, borei pri ha'etz.

Translation: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.

Eat a bite of the apple. Then continue:

Step 2 — The Yehi Ratzon (May it be Your will)

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה.

Yehi ratzon mil'fanecha Adonai Eloheinu v'Elohei avoteinu, shet'chadesh aleinu shanah tovah u'metukah.

Translation: May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year.

Many families say the bracha together, take a bite, and then say the Yehi Ratzon together. Some families add additional simanim ("symbolic foods") — pomegranate seeds for many blessings, a fish head for being "the head and not the tail," carrots (gezer / gzar) for a sweet decree. For a K–3 first lesson, just apples and honey is plenty.

Hebrew vocabulary for this lesson

Every word your child will hear during a Rosh Hashanah lesson. Don't drill these — just point them out as they come up. After a few years your child will recognize them all.

Hebrew	Pronunciation	Meaning
רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה	Rosh Hashanah	"Head of the Year" — the Jewish new year
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה	Shanah Tovah	"Good year" — the standard greeting
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה	Shanah Tovah u'Metukah	"A good and sweet year"
שׁוֹפָר	Shofar	Ram's horn, blown during morning services
תַּפּוּחַ	Tapuach	Apple
דְּבַשׁ	Devash	Honey
חַלָּה	Challah	Braided bread (round on Rosh Hashanah)
תַּשְׁלִיךְ	Tashlich	"You shall cast" — the water ceremony on Day 1
תְּקִיעָה	Tekiah	A long, steady shofar blast
תְּרוּעָה	Teruah	A series of nine quick short blasts
תְּקִיעָה גְּדוֹלָה	Tekiah Gedolah	"The big tekiah" — the long, final blast that ends each set

More Hebrew calendar terms in our full glossary →

Common questions parents ask

How do I explain Rosh Hashanah to a really young child (3–5)?

Two sentences max: "It's the world's birthday. We eat apples and honey for a sweet new year." That's the whole lesson at age 3. Add the shofar at age 4. Add Tashlich at age 5. The depth grows year by year — the holiday repeats forever.

What time does the shofar get blown?

During the morning service on each of the two days, except when the first day falls on Shabbat — in that case, shofar is only blown on the second day. The total is 100 sounds across the morning service, in the four patterns named in the vocabulary table above.

What's the right greeting?

For most occasions: Shanah Tovah (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה — "good year"). For a fuller wish, Shanah Tovah u'Metukah ("a good and sweet year"). In writing or at shul: L'shanah Tovah Tikateivu (לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִּכָּתֵבוּ — "may you be inscribed for a good year"). All three are correct.

Is there a Rosh Hashanah lesson pack from Hebrew Homeschool Hub?

Not yet — it's on the roadmap as the next pack after Shavuot. This free guide will get you through the first lesson; the full pack (English deck + vowelized Hebrew deck + parent guide + worksheets + teacher prep PDF) is in development and will ship before Rosh Hashanah 2026. Join the email list to know the moment it's ready.

What about Yom Kippur — do we teach that too?

Yes, ten days later. Yom Kippur is the climax of the Ten Days of Repentance that begin on Rosh Hashanah. The K–3 framing is gentler than you'd expect — kids don't fast, but they can come to shul, hear the closing shofar at the end of Neilah, and join the meal that breaks the fast. We have a Yom Kippur for K–3 guide coming as the next post in this series.

Can I use this in a co-op or Sunday school?

Yes — this free guide is for any K–3 learning context (homeschool, co-op, Hebrew school, Sunday school, family at the table). If you'd like the full multi-day curriculum (deck, worksheets, parent guide), the Rosh Hashanah lesson pack is in development.

Pair this guide with

Get notified when it ships.

The full Rosh Hashanah lesson pack (English deck + vowelized Hebrew + parent guide + worksheets + teacher prep PDF) is in development now — it'll ship before Rosh Hashanah 2026. Drop your email and we'll send you the launch link with a first-week discount.

Join the email list →