Poly Celebrates the Jewish High Holy Days Across Campus

Poly is thrilled to share how our school will celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days this fall. The Jewish High Holy Days, celebrated in October this calendar year, include the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, and more. These holidays reflect themes such as renewal, freedom, and joy.

Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, begins at sunset on October 2. Our Jewish community groups will mark the day with offerings of honey, challah, and apples to represent wishes for a “sweet” new year in all three divisions. Poly will observe Rosh Hashanah as a school holiday on October 3. The Jewish Family Affinity Group will serve a New Year offering on October 4.

Across the three divisions, Poly teachers are marking these events in unique ways. Second Grade Teacher Floriane Siegel has assembled thematic, age-appropriate books to read to her class, including Two New Years, A Moon For Moe And Mo, and Yom Kippur Short Stop. 

Jewish Family Affinity Group Chair and Middle School Teacher Amy Jaffe is working to procure a shofar, a wind instrument traditionally made of a ram’s horn, to share with the community and teach about the Jewish faith, along with the affinity group’s New Year food offering.

Avi McClelland-Cohen, an Upper School History Teacher and the new Upper School Jewish Student Union (JSU) faculty advisor, will support Rosh Hashanah celebrations on the South Campus. The JSU (synonymous with the Upper School Jewish Affinity Group) will celebrate the holiday during Community Time on October 2.

We are thrilled to see these joyful expressions of faith on campus and look forward to these celebrations.