The High Holidays of 5787 arrive early in the fall of 2026, inviting Jewish families to move through a powerful spiritual journey: from reflection and renewal, to forgiveness, joy, shelter and the celebration of Torah. This Ella Judaica guide follows the Diaspora calendar and brings together exact dates, essential themes, family traditions, practical preparation and respectful notes on Sephardic and broader Jewish customs.
High Holidays 2026 dates at a glance
- Rosh Hashanah: begins at sundown Friday, September 11, and ends at nightfall Sunday, September 13, 2026.
- Yom Kippur: begins at sundown Sunday, September 20, and ends at nightfall Monday, September 21, 2026.
- Sukkot: begins at sundown Friday, September 25. The seven-day festival continues through Friday, October 2, with the first two days observed as Yom Tov in the Diaspora and the intermediate days as Chol HaMoed.
- Shemini Atzeret: begins at sundown Friday, October 2, and continues through nightfall Saturday, October 3.
- Simchat Torah: begins after nightfall Saturday, October 3, and ends at nightfall Sunday, October 4.
Preparing before the season begins
High Holiday preparation is both spiritual and practical. Sephardic communities traditionally begin Selichot from the start of Elul, creating a long, steady rhythm of repentance and mercy. Many Ashkenazic communities begin Selichot closer to Rosh Hashanah. In every tradition, the goal is not panic or perfection but teshuvah: returning to Hashem, to our best selves and to one another.
Make a short personal inventory. Is there someone to thank, forgive or ask forgiveness from? Are there unpaid obligations, forgotten promises or charitable commitments to complete? Choose one prayer to understand more deeply and one relationship to approach with humility. At home, check candle supplies, festival meals, synagogue schedules, children’s needs and transportation before the holidays begin.
For prayer preparation, a five-volume Sepharadi machzor set can help make the words of the season feel familiar before services start. Reading the prayers in advance—especially unfamiliar piyyutim—turns the synagogue experience from a rush of pages into a more personal conversation.
Rosh Hashanah: renewal, judgment and hope
Rosh Hashanah, literally the “head of the year,” is both solemn and hopeful. We proclaim Hashem’s sovereignty, remember the moral purpose of creation, and ask to be inscribed for life, blessing and peace. The holiday is not centered on resolutions alone; it asks what kind of person we are becoming and how our choices affect family, community and the world.
In 2026, the first day falls on Shabbat. Friday, September 11 is Erev Rosh Hashanah, and Beverly Hills families light Shabbat and holiday candles at 6:47 PM. Because the first day is Shabbat, the shofar is not sounded that day in traditional practice. The shofar and Tashlich are observed on Sunday, September 13, the second day.
Holiday meals often include round challah dipped in honey, apples and honey, pomegranates and foods expressing hopes for the new year. Many Sephardic families conduct a full seder of simanim, reciting a blessing and a carefully worded yehi ratzon over foods such as dates, leeks, gourds, black-eyed peas, beets or chard, pomegranate and the head of a fish or other symbolic food. Customs and wording vary beautifully among Moroccan, Syrian, Persian, Iraqi, Turkish, Spanish-Portuguese and other communities.
Create a meal that feels joyful and unhurried. Ella Judaica’s Rosh Hashanah collection gathers seasonal pieces, while a stainless-steel apple honey dish gives the central symbol of sweetness a place of honor. A kosher-certified polished shofar can become a meaningful family heirloom when chosen and cared for thoughtfully.
Rosh Hashanah family checklist
- Confirm service times and children’s programming.
- Prepare a pre-existing flame for second-night candle lighting.
- Buy or bake round challah and organize the simanim.
- Set aside tzedakah before candle lighting.
- Plan to hear the shofar on Sunday this year.
- Discuss one hope for 5787 at the table.
The Ten Days of Repentance
The days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance. Jewish liturgy adds phrases emphasizing life, mercy and peace. This is the time to turn intention into action: make the phone call, return what is owed, increase tzedakah and replace a harmful habit with a constructive one. Asking another person’s forgiveness should be sincere and specific; Yom Kippur does not erase interpersonal wrongs until we have tried to make them right.
Yom Kippur: return, forgiveness and spiritual clarity
Yom Kippur begins before sunset Sunday, September 20 and ends after nightfall Monday, September 21. It is a day of fasting, prayer and freedom from ordinary physical concerns. The five traditional restrictions include eating and drinking, washing for pleasure, anointing, wearing leather shoes and marital relations. Health comes first under Jewish law: anyone pregnant, ill, taking medication or unsure about fasting should speak with both a qualified medical professional and a competent rabbi before the fast.
Prepare a calm pre-fast meal, hydrate in advance and avoid treating the meal as a last-minute feast. Light candles before the fast. Many wear white as a symbol of purity and simplicity. The liturgy moves from Kol Nidrei through the long confessions, Torah readings, remembrance and finally Ne’ilah, when the spiritual gates feel closest to closing. The final shofar blast announces the completion of the fast.
Sephardic services carry distinctive melodies and piyyutim, often expressing mercy with warmth and communal intensity. Customs around Kapparot, white clothing, memorial prayers and the exact order of additions vary. Follow your family and synagogue practice without turning one community’s custom into a universal rule.
Yom Kippur practical checklist
- Resolve interpersonal matters before the fast.
- Confirm medical and halachic guidance when needed.
- Prepare non-leather shoes, prayer books and comfortable modest clothing.
- Arrange children’s care and a safe break-fast meal.
- Set candles and memorial lights before the holiday.
- Turn off work notifications and create genuine space for prayer.
Sukkot: faith, hospitality and joy
Sukkot begins at sundown Friday, September 25 and continues for seven days. The first two days are Yom Tov in the Diaspora, followed by Chol HaMoed and Hoshana Rabbah. We leave the security of permanent rooms to spend time in a sukkah, remembering the divine protection that accompanied Israel in the wilderness and learning that true security does not come from walls alone.
The central mitzvot are dwelling in the sukkah and taking the Four Species: lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravot. Meals, Torah learning, songs and hospitality transform the sukkah into a joyful family space. Sephardic communities may welcome the ushpizin with distinctive readings and melodies, decorate according to regional family traditions, and give special attention to Hallel and hoshanot. Some families add the seven matriarchs alongside the traditional seven guests; practices vary.
Build early enough to solve practical problems before the holiday. Check local rules, stability, shade and safe lighting. Let children make weather-resistant decorations and assign each night a guest, value or biblical figure to discuss. Ella Judaica’s Jerusalem-themed Sukkah posters add color and Jewish meaning, while an elegant wood-and-glass challah board can move easily from the dining room to holiday meals in the sukkah.
Sukkot home checklist
- Build and inspect the sukkah before the festival.
- Confirm that the schach and walls meet halachic requirements.
- Choose a fresh kosher lulav and etrog set.
- Prepare safe lighting, serving supplies and weather protection.
- Plan guests, including someone who might otherwise be alone.
- Keep decorations secure and food protected outdoors.
Shemini Atzeret: staying one more day
Shemini Atzeret begins Friday evening, October 2 and is a separate sacred festival even though it follows Sukkot immediately. Its name suggests an “eighth day of assembly,” a final moment of closeness after the expansive celebration of Sukkot. In the Diaspora, the transition is nuanced: some Sukkot-related practices continue in limited form according to community custom, while the liturgy recognizes a new holiday.
The prayer for rain, Tefillat Geshem, is introduced on Shemini Atzeret, turning attention toward the life-giving winter season in the Land of Israel. Ask your synagogue how it observes Yizkor and other community customs. Because Shemini Atzeret begins on Friday night in 2026, prepare carefully for the combined holiness of Shabbat and festival.
Simchat Torah: rejoicing with the Torah
In the Diaspora, Simchat Torah begins Saturday night, October 3 and ends Sunday night, October 4. The annual Torah-reading cycle is completed and immediately begun again, demonstrating that Torah has no final stopping point. Communities dance with the scrolls during hakafot, call many people to the Torah and celebrate children as full participants in Jewish continuity.
Prepare young children for the noise, movement and late hour. Explain that the celebration is not only about finishing a book; it is about choosing to begin again. Sephardic melodies, honor customs and hakafot orders differ from one community to another, but the shared center is joy in Torah. Families can bring flags, offer age-appropriate treats, and choose one Torah-learning practice to carry into the new year.
Creating a welcoming holiday home
Beautiful ritual objects are most meaningful when they support hospitality, prayer and memory. Keep the table elegant but usable. Invite children to place apples, fold napkins or prepare name cards. Make room for guests of different ages and levels of observance. Ella Judaica’s Shabbat candle collection can help mark the arrival of sacred time, and the store’s holiday and Judaica selections make thoughtful gifts for hosts, teachers and loved ones.
Above all, protect the heart of the season. The High Holidays are not a performance. A home can be simple and still radiant with mitzvot. A prayer can be imperfect and still sincere. A family tradition can be treasured while leaving room to learn from another Jewish community.
A final preparation plan
- This week: complete apologies, tzedakah and Rosh Hashanah shopping.
- Before Yom Kippur: confirm fasting guidance, service plans and break-fast arrangements.
- Before Sukkot: build the sukkah, acquire the Four Species and plan hospitality.
- Before Shemini Atzeret: prepare for the festival-Shabbat transition and synagogue customs.
- Before Simchat Torah: organize children, transportation and a realistic plan for joyful participation.
May 5787 bring health, peace, livelihood, unity and renewed faith to every Jewish home. From the Ella Judaica family to yours: tizku l’shanim rabbot, shanah tovah u’metukah, g’mar chatimah tovah, and chag sameach.
Explore meaningful Judaica for the season at EllaJudaica.com.
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Holiday dates verified for the Diaspora using the 2026 Jewish holiday calendar and the 2026 Rosh Hashanah reference guide on September 10, 2026.