Yom Kippur

Dear Parents,

Thank you for coming to “Meet the Teacher Night”, it was very nice to see you.

This week we were very busy learning all about Yom Kippur.

-We looked at the calendar and we saw that the date is Yud which means 10, and the month is Tishrei.

-We counted 10 days from Rosh Hashanah and now we understand  why these days are called: Aseret Yemei Teshuva” the 10 days of Repentance.

-We learn about Selichot service.

-After Rosh Hashanah ends and before Yom Kippur starts the next notable day is the special Shabbat that has its own name: Shabbat Shuvah ("Sabbath [of] Return") meaning the Sabbath devoted to "teshuva" which means "repentance" in Hebrew.

-We learned about two Mitzvot that we do before the fast.

1 Kaparot

2 Seudah Mafseket, also called the “feast before the fast.” We learned that it is a Mitzvah to eat.

-Yom Kippur is here and we know now exactly what to wear - white clothes like the angels. ( We wear white also because  white is clean and we want to be clean from “mistakes”) and what kind of shoes we can wear. Some people wear a kittel, a white robe-like garment for prayers on Yom Kippur

Five prohibitions of Yom Kippur

1.     No eating

2.     No drinking

3.     No wearing of leather shoes

4.     No bathing or washing

5.     No perfumes or lotions

On Yom Kippur we are praying from a Siddur call “Machzor”

-Yom Kippur is the only day in the year when there are five prayer services. The evening service, containing the Ma'ariv prayer, is widely known as "Kol Nidre", the opening declaration made preceding the prayer. During the daytime, shacharit, musaf (which is recited on Shabbat and all festivals) and mincha are followed, as the sun begins to set, by Ne'ila, which is recited just this once a year.

-In the service there are two main stories we learn.

1 The Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies (Kodesh Hakodashim)  in the center of the Holy Temple (Bet Hamikdash).

2 Jonah and the whale.

-We finish the Yom Kippur Prayer with the sound of the Shofar   - wishing that our prayers will be accepted.

-Right after Bet Knesset (synagogue) we run to start our first Mitzvah - building the sukkah.

-In order to encourage the student to do Mitzvot I’m sending home a Mitzvah checklist to fill in together with your child.

I wish you and your family a Gmar Hatimah Tovah!

Morah Irit Karavani.

A note from Mrs. Sapp:

 Please send to school only  nut free snacks.