High Holiday Resources
The High Holidays for 5781 will look unlike any other we’ve experienced, as many synagogues have created alternative ways of conducting services and connecting with congregants. Children may be particularly disoriented by these changes. Gateways has created three social stories to help children to understand what High Holidays during a pandemic might look like.

High Holiday Bingo
Staying engaged during High Holiday services might be even more difficult for children when services are online. Help them to stay focused with these fun High Holiday bingo cards! Whenever they hear a word on their boards, they can cross it off or cover it with a pre-cut square of paper.Learn more »
Browse and download free High Holiday resources for kids, prepared by Gateways' experienced special education teachers: High Holiday Blessings with Picture Communication Symbols®, High Holiday Social Stories, High Holiday Related Social Skills Support, Make Your Own High Holiday File Folder Activity Kits, and High Holiday Crafts with creative ideas for adapting for different types of learners. We'd love to hear your feedback!
High Holiday Blessings with Picture Communication Symbols®
Some of the blessings we say on the High Holidays are illustrated with Tobii Dynavox Picture Communication Symbols® Illustrating each word of the blessing with a symbol helps to make this blessing more accessible and understandable for pre-readers and students with disabilities. Students can use this printout to follow along with the blessing on Friday nights, learn how to recite the blessing, and learn the blessing's meaning.

Holiday Candle Blessing
The blessing over lighting candles on Jewish Holidays is written out in three ways: large print Hebrew text, an English transliteration accompanied by Picture Communication Symbols®, and a simple English translation.Learn more »

Blessing for Apples and Other Fruit
The blessing over apples and other fruit is written out in three ways: large print Hebrew text, an English transliteration accompanied by Picture Communication Symbols®, and a simple English translation.Learn more »

Blessing for Hearing the Shofar
The blessing we say before hearing the Shofar is written out in three ways: large print Hebrew text, an English transliteration accompanied by Picture Communication Symbols®, and a simple English translation.Learn more »
High Holiday Social Stories
Children with disabilities can feel anxious about unfamiliar situations and events. Social stories can set them up for success by showing children what to expect.

The Temple Book
Let's go to temple! This story helps prepare children for a trip to temple by telling them what events to expect, naming the people and items they will see, and explaining what behavior is expected of them. When children know what will happen in temple they will be less anxious and more likely to have a successful day. This story is not specific to the High Holidays but is a great preparatory tool to use in conjunction with the High Holiday specific stories below.
Customize Your Own Rosh Hashanah Social Story
There are so many High Holiday topics to explore with your children--too many to fit into just one story! Now you can customize your very own Rosh Hashanah social story by printing out only the sections below that are of interest to you and your child and assembling them into a single book. If your child focuses best in short spurts, print out each story individually to make a little library of short High Holiday social stories.

People Wear Special Clothes to Temple
This story describes the nice clothes that people wear to temple. It also explains that people in temple wear kippot and tallitot. This story will be helpful for children who may be anxious about a change in their normal dressing routine. It may also help children who like to plan what they want to wear in advance.

How People Behave in Temple
This story briefly explains that people in temple need to stay in their seats and have quiet voices. Clearly outlining the behavior that is expected in temple is helpful to children with disabilities. In addition to reviewing this story before going to temple, parents may bring it to temple if their children would benefit from reminders of what proper temple behavior looks like.

Things I Can Do During a Long Service
Sitting through High Holiday services can be a challenge for anyone! This story suggests some appropriate activities to keep children from becoming bored during a long service. Fill-in-the-blanks encourage parents and children to talk in advance about how they plan to stay occupied.

How People Pray
This story describes the different ways people say prayers: standing up, sitting down, singing, talking, whispering. It also reassures children that the Rabbi will usually give instructions about how to say a prayer. This story is helpful for children who are anxious about going to temple because it lets them know what to expect.

Blowing the Shofar
This story explains what the shofar is and describes the different kinds of shofar blasts. This story is helpful for children who are anxious about going to temple because it lets them know what to expect. It might also be an enjoyable read for students who love listening to the shofar.
Customize Your Own Yom Kippur Social Story
There are so many High Holiday topics to explore with your children--too many to fit into just one story! Now you can customize your very own Yom Kippur social story by printing out only the sections below that are of interest to you and your child and assembling them into a single book. If your child focuses best in short spurts, print out each story individually to make a little library of short High Holiday social stories.

My Parents May Fast on Yom Kippur
This story describes what fasting means and why people fast on Yom Kippur. It also explains that people who fast might be tired and need a chance to rest. This story is helpful for children who are anxious about changes in their family's routine. It is also helpful for children who are curious about why mom and dad aren't eating breakfast with them.

People Wear Special Clothes on Yom Kippur
This story describes the nice clothes that people wear to temple. It also describes some of the special clothes that they may see people wearing on Yom Kippur, such as kittels and sneakers. This story will be helpful for children who may be anxious about a change in their normal dressing routine. This story is also helpful for children who might be curious about why people in temple are wearing "funny clothes."

How People Behave in Temple
This story briefly explains that people in temple need to stay in their seats and have quiet voices. Clearly outlining the behavior that is expected in temple is helpful to children with disabilities. In addition to reviewing this story before going to temple, parents may bring it to temple if their children would benefit from reminders of what proper temple behavior looks like.

Things I Can Do During a Long Service
Sitting through High Holiday services can be a challenge for anyone! This story suggests some appropriate activities to keep children from becoming bored during a long service. Fill-in-the-blanks encourage parents and children to talk in advance about how they plan to stay occupied.

How People Pray
This story describes the different ways people say prayers: standing up, sitting down, singing, talking, whispering. It also reassures children that the Rabbi will usually give instructions about how to say a prayer. This story is helpful for children who are anxious about going to temple because it lets them know what to expect.
High Holiday Related Social Skills
High Holiday File Folder Activities
File folder activities can help children review ideas and familiarize them with Jewish objects. Since they are inexpensive and relatively easy to make, you can accumulate a large stack of file folder activities in no time! The visual nature of file folder activities takes advantage of the visual strengths of children with autism and many other developmental disabilities.

Apple and Honey Pattern File Folder Activity
Students complete patterns of apples and jars of honey, helping them learn to associate these tasty snacks with the High Holidays.Learn more »

Shofar Puzzle File Folder activity
In this activity students put together all of the pieces to complete a picture of a shofar, helping them to become more familiar with this object we use on the High Holidays.Learn more »

Weighing Our Deeds File Folder Activity
Students sort out the mitzvot and good deeds from the things that we apologize for doing.Learn more »
High Holiday Crafts
See how Gateways special educators revamp these traditional High Holiday crafts. We provide visual step by step instructions, suggestions to adapt and modify each activity for children with different learning styles and abilities.

Apple Print Rosh Hashanah Cards
Children of all abilities can create beautiful homemade New Year's cards! This project helps children associate Rosh Hashanah with its traditional snack of apples though a fun and tactilely stimulating activity. Creating Rosh Hashanah cards that can be distributed to friends and family can help children feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. This downloadable activity includes step-by-step visual instructions, as well as suggestions for adaptations to make this craft accessible for children with a wide variety of abilities.Learn more »

Writing Rosh Hashanah Messages with Picture Symbols
Writing Rosh Hashanah cards can be an excellent opportunity for children to practice communicating with their friends and family. Children who are pre-readers, non-verbal, or have physical disabilities are empowered to compose a Holiday message with the help of the Tobii Dynavox Picture Communication Symbols®. This download contains materials as well as step-by-step directions for the adults who are supporting their children as they complete the activity.Learn more »

Pomanders for Yom Kippur
This sweet-smelling High Holiday craft is also a wonderful fine motor activity! In the past, people made pomanders, also known as clove apples, to bring to synagogue on Yom Kippur, as the fragrance of the apple and cloves together helped ease hunger and revive people who were feeling faint. This kit comes with a further explanation of the activity, list of materials, and simple step-by-step directions illustrated with photographsLearn more »