Rosh Hashanah רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
Fall · Tishrei — The Jewish New Year — apples dipped in honey for a sweet year, and the shofar's wake-up call to begin again, kinder than before.
Free guide · K–6 homeschool families
The Jewish holidays, for homeschool families.
Every major Jewish holiday in calendar order — what it is, when it comes, and one warm, kid-level way to teach it. Each links to a complete free lesson and, where there is one, a full lesson pack. No prior Hebrew needed: every Hebrew word is vowelized and transliterated.
Free lessons
11 holidays · calendar order
K–6 · ages 5–12
Start here
A whole year of Jewish holidays.
The Jewish year runs on a Hebrew lunar calendar, so the holidays move around the secular calendar — but they always come in the same order, telling the same story across the seasons. It opens in the fall with the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) and Sukkot, brightens midwinter with Chanukah and Tu B'Shvat, turns joyful in spring with Purim and Pesach, and climbs through the Omer to Shavuot in early summer.
This page is a homeschool parent's map to all of them. Each holiday below has a one-line, kid-level summary and a link to a complete free 30-minute lesson — the story, the Hebrew vocabulary with nikud, a hands-on activity, and discussion questions. Where a full lesson pack exists, you'll find that too. For the exact start and end times each year, see the five-year Jewish holiday calendar.
Everything is built for the parent who doesn't read Hebrew yet, and framed gently: we teach Chanukah as religious freedom, not battles, and the modern holidays as homecoming and gratitude. One big idea at a time, lots of warmth. Want the whole year on one page? Download the free Jewish Year at a Glance poster.
In calendar order
Every holiday, fall to summer.
Yom Kippur יוֹם כִּפּוּר
Fall · Tishrei — The Day of Atonement — a quiet, holy day of saying sorry and starting clean. For little ones: a day of hugs, forgiveness, and white clothes.
Sukkot סֻכּוֹת
Fall · Tishrei — The Festival of Booths — build and decorate a sukkah, shake the lulav and etrog, and eat outside together under the stars.
Chanukah חֲנֻכָּה
Winter · Kislev — The Festival of Lights — one little jar of oil that lasted eight nights, the growing glow of the chanukiah, dreidels, and latkes.
Tu B'Shvat ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט
Winter · Shvat — The New Year of the Trees — taste the Seven Species, plant a seed, and say thank you for the fruit of the Land of Israel.
Purim פּוּרִים
Late winter · Adar — A brave, hidden queen saves her people — costumes, groggers, hamantaschen, and baskets of treats for friends (mishloach manot).
Pesach (Passover) פֶּסַח
Spring · Nisan — From slavery to freedom — the Seder plate, the Four Questions, matzah, and the great Exodus story, told gently for young learners.
Counting the Omer סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר
Spring · Nisan–Sivan — The 49-day count from Pesach to Shavuot — a daily “how many days?” habit that builds excitement for receiving the Torah.
Yom HaAtzmaut יוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת
Spring · Iyar — Israel's Independence Day — the flag, HaTikvah, and the joy of a Jewish homeland, framed warmly as our heart-home.
Yom Yerushalayim יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם
Spring · Iyar — Jerusalem Day — the Old City, the Kotel, and the joy of reunification, told as a gentle story of longing and homecoming.
Shavuot שָׁבוּעוֹת
Early summer · Sivan — Receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai — blintzes and cheesecake, blossoms and greenery, and the kindness story of Ruth.
Go deeper
Beyond the holidays.
Teaching the holidays goes hand in hand with Hebrew literacy. Start your child with the Hebrew alphabet (alef-bet) — a free reference and printable chart — their first Hebrew words, and the Hebrew Alphabet Coloring Pack. Each week also brings its own Torah portion: see the weekly parsha schedule and lessons. And for free downloads to start teaching today, visit the free printables page.
FAQ
Questions parents ask.
In what order do the Jewish holidays come?
The Jewish year begins in the fall with Rosh Hashanah, then Yom Kippur and Sukkot, followed by Chanukah and Tu B'Shvat in winter, Purim and Pesach in spring, Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim, and Shavuot in early summer. This page lists them in that calendar order.
Do I need to be religious or know Hebrew to teach these?
No. Every lesson is written for parents who are learning right alongside their kids — all Hebrew is fully vowelized (nikud) and transliterated, and the framing is warm and welcoming to families across the full Jewish observance spectrum.
What ages are these holiday lessons for?
K–6, roughly ages 5–12. Each holiday is taught with one big idea at a time, a real story, and a hands-on activity, so the youngest learners and older siblings can do it together.
When does each holiday actually fall this year?
Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew lunar calendar, so the secular dates shift each year. See the five-year Jewish holiday calendar for exact start and end times for every holiday from 2026 through 2030.
How do you handle the harder or sadder parts of the story?
Gently and age-appropriately. Difficult history is real, but a young learner doesn't need the graphic parts — Chanukah is framed as religious freedom, the modern holidays as homecoming and gratitude, never as battles.