Yom Kippur is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It means Day of Atonement and Jewish people fast for 25 hours. It's a day to reflect on the past year and ask God's forgiveness for any sins.

During the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur everyone gets a chance to put things right with other people before asking God's forgiveness. This period is called The Days of Repentance or Days of Awe. It's a time when Jews can make up for the wrongs of the past year and make a firm commitment to not do the same bad thing or things again. Yom Kippur begins at sunset. Before this solemn occasion, some Orthodox Jewish people visit a mikveh (ritual bath) to prepare themselves to become more spiritual.

Everyone who is feasting eats a large meal before the fast begins. Children under thirteen and people who are ill or pregnant do not have to fast.

The special day of Yom Kippur is marked by Jewish people in a number of ways:

• Many wear white as a symbol of purity
• No food or drink is consumed for 25 hours
• No make-up or perfume is worn
• No sex
• No bathing
• No leather shoes

It is the only day in the year that there are five services in the synagogue, starting with Maariv (the evening service) at the beginning of the fast. This service starts with the Kol Nidre (literally 'all the vows') prayer. This prayer asks God to release the people from any vows they made and not kept during the past year.

The day is spent in continuous prayer for forgiveness. Yom Kippur ends with Neilah (literally 'the closing' of the gates of heaven) service. After a day spent fasting and praying, a final plea is made to God for forgiveness. The single sound of the shofar marks the end of the holy day.

Why isn't Yom Kippur on the same day each year?
Yom Kippur is ten days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and takes place on the ninth Day of the Hebrew month of Tishri. In the Jewish calendar the months are based on the moon and the years on the sun, which means that Jewish festivals move about the Western calendar from year to year. The lunar year is eleven days shorter than the solar year. To ensure that the festivals are celebrated in thir proper seasons, an additional month has to be inserted seven times in 19 years, adjusting the lunar to the solar year. Yom Kippur falls in September or October.

What is the significance of the shofar?
The sound of the shofar (ram's horn) was heard on many important occasions in Biblical times. At Rosh Hashanah it is blown to signal the start of Yamin Noraim (the Days of Awe) and to warn people to reflect on their deeds and ask forgiveness from God. Its sound at the end of the service signifies the end of this period.

Suggested Activities (based on the QCA Schemes of Work)
RE at Key Stages 1 and 2 (Year 1)
Unit 1D 'Beliefs and Practice'

Students could make a class book or display comparing ordinary daily activities with those of Yom Kippur. The Yom Kippur timeline gives an outline of the different parts of the day and when they occur. If possible, invite a representative from the local Jewish community into the school to talk about activities on this and other Jewish holy days. Unit 1E 'How do Jewish people express their beliefs in practice?' Describe the events of Yom Kippur through the experience of a Jewish child. Discuss how Yom Kippur is special and separate from ordinary routines. Students could make New Year cards.

RE at Key Stage 3 (Year 8)
Unit 8C: Beliefs and practice (generic) Section 5: How are beliefs shown in festivals?
Ask students to make a record of the key events and beliefs in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Yom Kippur timeline could be used for reference. Students could then imagine they are reporters for a local newspaper writing a piece on Jewish New Year covering what happens and why. The Jewish New Year writing frame could be used to support this activity.

Full details of all QCA schemes of work for RE can be found online at:
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes3/subjects/
Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

BBC Religion and Ethics - Judaism
Find out more about how Jews mark Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement.

Yom Kippur - CBBC Newsround
KS2 students can learn about Yom Kippur using this introduction from CBBC Newsround.

Take the Jewish Quiz
Do you know who founded Judaism and to whom the Ten Commandments were given by God? Test your knowledge in the Jewish Quiz.

Multi Faith Celebrations - BBC Parenting
This handy guide gives tips on preparing yourself for children's curiosity about religions.

Radio 1's One Life Guide to Judaism
History, holiday, festivals and real life interviews about life and faith.

BBC New - On this Day
On 6 October 1973, the so-called Yom Kippur War began. Find out what happened.

the RE site
A comprehensive collection of RE news, links and resources for students of all ages. Includes an interactive festivals calendar, links to virtual tours of places of worship and AV/IT resources catalogue.

The Culham Institute
RE curriculum and training resources with a strong emphasis on the use of multimedia and ICT. The site contains a wide range of assemblies for primary and secondary groups focusing on people, festivals and other important themes and days.

the RE directory
A directory of RE contacts, including LEAs, faith communities and suppliers of resources.

SPCK - The Assemblies Website
Constantly updated, this site provides instant-access assemblies for primary and secondary schools on a wide range of secular and religious topics, including festivals of world religions.

The Parrotfish Company
A catalogue of multicultural educational resources and religious artefacts from around the world.

Turning the Pages
The British Library's award-winning online collection of ancient texts. Students can 'turn the pages' of a range of texts from different cultures, including the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Diamond Sutra, Sultan Baybars' Qur'an and the Hebrew Golden Haggadah.

Words Alive! - Special Books
An interactive guide to the six world religions from the British Library with video, images and information. Explore each 'display case' to discover more about each religion.

Britkid
A site about race, racism and life - as seen through the eyes of the Britkids. You can hang out with a Britkid or go into town to learn about religion, food, culture and the triumphs, trials and tribulations of life as a teenager in multicultural Britain.

Portsmouth EMAS
The Portsmouth Ethnic Minority Achievement Service offer a range of excellent multicultural online resources, including religious festival activities, literacy resources and interactive number lines in a wide range of languages.

Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.