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Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It marks the end of the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In 2026, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on September 20 and ends at nightfall on September 21.
Whether you have students who observe this holiday or you’re helping your class learn about different customs, cultures, and religions, these Yom Kippur activities can help them build background knowledge, practice ELA skills, and add more diverse perspectives to your lessons.
Yom Kippur activities can support the ELA work you already have planned. Use these lessons to help students build background knowledge while practicing close reading, multimedia analysis, and evidence-based discussion.
Students can synthesize informational texts about Yom Kippur by reading two nonfiction sources, tracking what each author emphasizes, and using evidence to explain what the texts teach them about the holiday.
Newsela ELA activity
Use this Grades 6–9 activity to help students compare two articles, collect evidence, and explain what each source teaches them about the importance of Yom Kippur.
Focus question
What do we learn about the importance of Yom Kippur from each article?
Start here
Use the Newsela lesson page to launch the activity and keep the resources together for students.
Open the lessonWarm-up
Before students read, ask what they already know about Yom Kippur and what they know about fasting.
Article 1
Students read and annotate key ideas, questions, and connections in the article about Yom Kippur.
Read the articleArticle 2
Students read a second article and look for details that deepen or shift their understanding of Yom Kippur.
Read the articleSynthesis task
Have students revisit the Focus Question, reread each text, and use the Comparing Media organizer to collect evidence from both sources. Then, students can respond through discussion or writing.
Extension: Invite students to use the Write a Comic activity to show what they learned about the importance and significance of Yom Kippur.
Students can analyze multimedia about Yom Kippur by comparing how an article and a video explain the same holiday. This works especially well for younger students because they can practice naming main ideas, collecting key details, and using evidence from more than one format.
Newsela ELA activity
Analyze multimedia about Yom Kippur
Use this Grades 3–5 activity to help students compare an article and a video, then explain how each source shows the importance of Yom Kippur.
Focus question
How do the article and the video each explain the importance of Yom Kippur?
Start here
Open the full lesson
Use the Newsela lesson page to launch the activity and keep the article, video, and student task together.
Open the lessonWarm-up
Activate what students already know
Ask students what they already know about Yom Kippur and what they know about fasting before they compare sources.
Video
Watch an introduction to Yom Kippur
Students watch the video first and take notes about the main ideas and key details it shares.
Watch the videoArticle
Read about the Day of Atonement
Students read the article next, looking for details that confirm, extend, or explain ideas from the video.
Read the articleMultimedia task
Compare the sources and respond
Have students revisit the Focus Question and engage with each source a second time. As they watch and reread, they can highlight or note evidence that shows how each source explains the importance of Yom Kippur.
Extension: Invite students to write a poem about the importance and traditions of Yom Kippur, using details from both sources.
Yom Kippur is one of many Jewish holidays celebrated throughout the calendar year. Social studies lessons can help students understand the people, history, and traditions connected to the holiday.
You can extend Yom Kippur activities with lessons on Jewish American culture, Judaism, early Hebrew traditions, and comparative religions. These options work well when you want students to place one holiday in a broader historical or cultural context.
Social studies lesson extensions
Use these lessons when students are ready to learn more about Jewish culture, history, traditions, and connections across world religions.
| Lesson | Use it to explore | Sample content |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish American Culture and Traditions | Jewish American culture, history, holidays, and traditions |
|
| Judaism | Judaism’s history, holidays, diaspora, and branches |
|
| The Beginnings of Judaism | How Judaism developed from early Hebrew traditions and beliefs |
|
| Judaism, Christianity and Islam | Abrahamic faiths, religious holidays, traditions, and customs |
|
Yom Kippur is just one of many holidays celebrated during the fall. With Newsela Learning Suite, you can find news articles, primary sources, literature selections, videos, and classroom activities that help students explore holidays through ELA, social studies, science, and more.
Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for free and start your 45-day trial. You’ll get access to premium content and activities to help you to teach about Yom Kippur and other fall holidays with timely, relevant resources.
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