Teaching the High Holidays

“Teaching the High Holidays” by Rachel Adlerstone presents an educator's guide for instructing students on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The book emphasizes age-appropriate teaching methods and factual accuracy, moving beyond a single activity adapted for different age groups. It offers distinct, modular plans suitable for diverse educational settings, including Jewish schools, congregations, home learning environments, and comparative religion classes. The author's approach distinguishes between sensory learning for preschoolers, narrative and vocabulary development for elementary students, source-based questions for middle schoolers, and ethical inquiry for teenagers.

This resource covers various High Holiday topics, such as the calendar, shofar, simanim, Tashlich, teshuvah, fasting, communal confession, the Book of Jonah, Yizkor, and Neilah. It includes safety guidelines, prohibiting practices like fasting challenges or forced apologies. The material clarifies distinctions between Jewish law, custom, interpretation, and modern practice. Assessment methods focus on students' ability to explain concepts and provide evidence, rather than evaluating personal belief. The guide also addresses disability access, interfaith families, school absences, antisemitism-related questions, and variations within communities, providing adaptable plans for different schedules. A concluding checklist helps educators identify and remove stereotypes, inaccurate generalizations, and decorative activities lacking educational purpose.