Family & Children’s High Holiday Resources

Sharing the High Holidays with children brings newfound joy and perspective to our sacred days. Through children’s eyes, the blast of the shofar becomes an adventure, and the sweetness of honey-dipped apples takes on magical meaning.

Baltimore’s Jewish community offers wonderful resources to help families make these holidays accessible and engaging for young people. From board books that explain Rosh Hashanah to preschoolers, to hands-on activities that let kids explore traditions through play, there are countless ways to involve children in the celebration.

Many local synagogues offer family services designed specifically for young attention spans through interactive storytelling, child-friendly explanations and plenty of opportunities to hear (and try!) the shofar. Teen and young adult programs offer age-appropriate ways to explore the deeper meanings of the holidays while fostering community connections.

The key is meeting children where they are – making traditions tangible, celebrations joyful, and the holidays a time they’ll look forward to, year after year.

Making the Holidays Meaningful for Kids

Creating memorable High Holiday experiences for kids starts with simple, engaging activities. Let them help dip apples in honey while explaining how we’re hoping for a sweet year ahead. Try apple printing crafts, or make edible shofars from ice cream cones and snacks.

Many Baltimore synagogues offer special children’s services where kids can get up close with a real shofar and practice their own blasts. Picture books like Apples and Honey and The Hardest Word help explain holiday themes in age-appropriate ways.

Hands-on traditions – like tossing breadcrumbs into water during Tashlich or helping bake round challah – give children tangible connections to these special days. When we engage their senses and imagination, we create High Holiday memories that last a lifetime.

Teen and Young Adult Programs

For college students and young adults in Baltimore, Hillel provides a home away from home during the High Holidays. Hillel chapters at Goucher; Johns Hopkins; Towson University; UMBC​​; UMD, College Park and other area campuses offer full High Holiday services, festive meals and opportunities to connect with peers.

These campus celebrations blend meaningful tradition with contemporary energy – think break-fast bagel bars, outdoor shofar blowing and student-led services that make ancient prayers feel contemporary. Hillel ensures that students don’t have to choose between their education and their Jewish observance, offering multiple service times and styles to accommodate class schedules.

Beyond campus, young adults can find welcoming communities at various Baltimore synagogues that host special programs for the twenties and thirties crowd. Whether you’re seeking traditional services or something more innovative, there’s a place for you to mark these sacred days in Jewish Baltimore.