As parents, we’re all too familiar with the inherent conundrum of the High Holidays.  While everyone else seems to be able to focus on the spirituality of the day, we’re left juggling our regular parenting tasks.  To make matters more impossible, we also must tackle the added burden of cooking and preparing for the holidays.

Maybe we’re lucky enough to catch a few hours in shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  But even if we are able to do that, how on earth are we supposed to make our prayers meaningful?  When you’re used to dealing with playdates, never-ending meal prep, or constant diaper changes, it’s hard to remember what spirituality even feels like.

Not only that, but our role as parents means that we want the holidays to be full of meaningful activities for our kids as well – especially if they’re a little bit older.  We are their primary educators, their role models…how are we supposed to find time to properly prepare our kids for the High Holidays?

Here’s the good news: Holiday inspiration for you and your kids is within reach. Even as a busy parent, you can get yourself spiritually prepared for the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holidays.  Aleph Beta’s easy-access videos are short, but powerful.  In just a small amount of screen or listening time, you’ll find that you’ve gained new understanding and insight that will revolutionize your holiday experience.

Scroll along to find some of our best Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur content for busy parents. You’ll also find Torah videos connected to topics of Parenting and the Holidays.  You can watch or listen to these videos while you bake those honey cakes and drive carpool. Aleph Beta may not be able to get over there to help you out on yom tov itself.  But we will help you get spiritually recharged so you can  make the most of  your Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers, however limited they may be.

At the bottom of this page, there’s a short list of activities and resources for kids that will enhance their holiday experience too. 

Get ready to make the High Holidays more meaningful, no matter how many little munchkins you have in your brood:

Video #1: Is Rosh Hashanah a Day of Judgment or Day of Celebration? 

As parents, it’s important to make time for our own spiritual preparation.  Apples, honey, and little fish gummies are nice additions to the holiday, but how are you going to prepare yourself for the Day of Judgment?

This six-part video series by Rabbi Fohrman divides key concepts about the holiday into short, 10 minute segments.  Watch one each day, and over the course of a week, you’ll learn what the key themes of Rosh Hashanah say about the holiday.  You’ll also find out how the Jewish New Year is connected to the Garden of Eden and Mount Sinai and take a peek into the biblical celebration of the Rosh Hashanah in the book of Nehemia.

This fascinating video series will make you want to break out your holiday finery, when you learn the answer to what is actually a very deep question: Is Rosh Hashanah a Day of Judgment or a Day of Celebration?

 Loved by kids and adults alike, the book of Jonah has provided enjoyment and inspiration for generations of Jews.  But there’s a lot more to this story than a fascinating fable of a man swallowed by a giant fish.

We read the story of Jonah during the afternoon prayers on Yom Kippur.  That clues us in to the fact that it’s somehow deeply connected to the Day of Atonement.  The traditional reason given for the association is that the book is about teshuvah (repentance) and allows us to see that even the people of Ninveh deserve God’s mercy.

That may be true, but there are a lot of elements of the Jonah story that don’t add up.  After Jonah’s sin of running away from God, we don’t hear anything about his own repentance.  And the story of the kikayon, and the fact that it’s supposed to somehow teach Jonah about the nature of God’s mercy, doesn’t make sense when taken at face value.

This fascinating seven-part video series will clue you in to the true meaning of the book of Jonah in short, 6-8 minute segments.  After understanding the Jonah story, you’ll look at Yom Kippur in an entirely new way.  Older kids may enjoy this video series too!

Video #3: Getting Closer to God through Hannah’s Prayer

Hannah is the mother of all supplicants.  This righteous woman pleaded with God to grant her one desire: a child.

The fact that God granted her wish shows us that she knew a thing or two about how to pray.  We read the story of Hannah on Rosh Hashanah.  And if we take a close look at the different elements of her own prayer, we’ll come to a better understanding of what it means to pray altogether.

Part of the premise of this video series is that it’s hard to pray to a God who is so very great, who seems so far above us.  As busy parents, sometimes it’s difficult to imagine that our own mundane thoughts are worthy of being heard by the King of Kings. 

But Hannah’s prayer shows us that our everyday, human problems are the very things which allow us to come close to our Creator. Watch this short, four-part series to gain deeper insight into what one of the Torah’s most famous parents teaches us about getting closer to God.

Parenting is hard.  Wouldn’t it be great if God had given us a manual, perhaps even concealed it somewhere in our Torah?

What if someone told you that Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing) which we hear chanted aloud in shul on every Jewish holiday, was that parenting manual?

It might seem a little far-fetched.  After all, the entirety of Birkat Kohanim is less than twenty words.  How could there possibly be enough information encoded in that short passage to give us any deep messages about how to behave as parents to our children?

This video series by Rabbi Fohrman will show you exactly how.  In three, ten-minute segments, you’ll discover what the Torah has to say about how to parent, from the time our babies are in utero to the time that they’re adults living on their own.  Whether you’re corralling your kids to the park on Rosh Hashanah or trying to keep them fed on the Yom Kippur fast, there’s something special about this role you have as a parent.  And our Torah tells us what that is.

Now that you’re spiritually prepared for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, let’s talk about preparing your kids.  If your children are under 5, you’ll want to focus more on the symbols of the day than on deep meaning.  Bring on the arts and crafts projects, the coloring pages, and the decorated jars of honey! But if your kids are a little older, they’ll benefit from some meaningful messages about the upcoming holidays. 5-10 year olds can enjoy the books and projects listed below, including amazing illustrated books from Artscroll.  If you have older children, this is a great time of year to raise their awareness of those in need.  Check out the chesed ideas listed below:

Rosh Hashanah for Kids

Here’s a list of online resources and activities to help you get your kids into the holiday spirit:

1. Aish – 7 Rosh Hashanah Projects for Kids

2. Chabad – Cards, Crafts, Coloring Pages & More

3. More Cute Crafts for Kids

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur Books for Kids

1. Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride 

2. The Secret Shofar of Barcelona

3. The Artscroll Children’s Yonah

4. The Artscroll Children’s Machzor for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Pre-Rosh Hashanah Spiritual Prep for Kids

Elul is a time to increase our ma’asim tovim, good deeds.  Often, it’s the people nearby who need our help most.  Try these simple projects to better the world with the help of your kids:

1. Bake round challah for a non-religious Jewish friend or neighbor. Deliver with honey and a message about Rosh Hashanah.
2.  Bake honey cake and make a Rosh Hashanah card for an elderly neighbor.  Then go for a visit.
3.  Write New Year’s cards to grandparents or older aunts and uncles.  Stamp them, address them, and send them in the mail. Everyone loves receiving a handwritten card in the mailbox!

Make Time for Your Own Growth on the High Holidays

Yes, finding spirituality while parenting little kids is quite the conundrum.  But it’s nothing you can’t handle.  With the help of our short and inspiring videos, you can ring in the new year in the spirit of growth and deeper Torah understanding.  After all, a big part of parenting is making the most of yourself so that you can guide your children.  

You’ve got this.

A Deeper Look

For more incredible insights from Rabbi Fohrman, check out these related videos and podcasts:

1. In our tradition, there’s one parent who has guided and cried for her children for thousands of years: Rachel Imanu.  This five part video series takes a deep dive into how Rachel’s story can teach us that mourning can be a powerful catalyst for growth.
2. Over the high holidays, we utter the 13 attributes of mercy again and again.  But can these 13 attributes actually help us shed the guilt and uncover a path to finding true forgiveness on Yom Kippur? This half hour video by Rabbi Fohrman explores this idea.
3. Have ten minutes to devote to understanding the true purpose of Yom Kippur? This fascinating video explains the connection between the Day of Awe and forgiveness.

(You’ve just begun  your journey to more meaningful High Holidays.  Don’t give up now! Learn about teshuva, and what the laws about repentance tell us about the personal side of the process:)