As many people in Frederick County Public Schools know, we get time off from school surrounding Jewish holidays due to the large population of Jewish people in our school district. However, not many of us know what goes on during these holidays! One holiday many are curious about is Yom Kippur, which was October 2nd, 2025.

The month of October usually starts with Yom Kippur, though in some years it can fall in late September. Yom Kippur is always ten days after Rosh Hashanah, because Yom Kippur is the conclusion of ten days of repentance. Yom Kippur is considered the ‘holiest day of the year’ and is called the Jewish Day of Atonement. Jewish individuals celebrate Yom Kippur by engaging in a twenty-five hour fast, prayer, and repentance. Fasting means abstaining from food or drinks, including water, during this twenty-five hour period. Additionally, individuals have to refrain from physical comforts like bathing or wearing leather shoes. Yom Kippur is a time to spiritually cleanse and reaffirm one’s religious faith. 

If an individual has a chronic illness, is pregnant or nursing, is a child under the age of 9, or has diabetes, they are not allowed to fast. Children from age 9 to Bat/Bar Mitzvah age should gradually train to fast during Yom Kippur. Elderly individuals should consult their health provider before fasting.  

There are other Jewish holidays we get off for throughout the year, like Rosh Hashanah. While, in the past, you may have just looked at Yom Kippur as a day you get off from school, others celebrate one of the biggest Jewish holidays! The next time we get it out of school, wonder why we are getting off at school? Even though something even though something doesn’t apply to you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to those around you!